Go to Palopo, seek knowledge, seek health and hunt for culinary delights

Name: Go to Palopo, seek knowledge, seek health and hunt for culinary delights
Uploaded: 2024-05-03T01:16:28Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: Located in the east of South Sulawesi, Palopo is not only a service and education city, but also the hub of the Greater Luwu area.

Located in the east of South Sulawesi, Palopo is not only a service and education city, but also the hub of the Greater Luwu area.

This article has been translated using AI. See Original .

RENY SRI AYU ARMAN

· 6 minutes read

Being far from Makassar, but still able to hang out at a franchise restaurant like in other big cities, which city is that? Those who live in the Greater Luwu area definitely know the answer: Palopo City.

In this city, located approximately 370 kilometers from Makassar, South Sulawesi, there are many national and even international franchise restaurants. Local cafes with various concepts and cuisine are also not few. Stalls that sell kapurung - traditional and typical food of Palopo made from sago - also do not want to lose their existence. All have fans and all have a place.

Andarias (45) actually came to Palopo to attend a relative's wedding event. Accompanied by his wife and seven-year-old child, they flew from East Kalimantan. After transiting in Makassar, the three of them continued their flight to Palopo and stayed at one of the hotels.

"His intention was just to come to the wedding and then go home. But in the end it only lasted a few days. It turns out it's quite busy here. Lots of places to eat and hang out. "It's easy to go anywhere because there is online transportation," he said.

This man, born in Tana Toraja, spent his childhood and adolescence in Palopo before finally migrating to Kalimantan. Having been away from Palopo for a long time, he was quite amazed to see the development of this small town.

Another thing is Indra Kamaruddin, Sulawesi Regional Manager, PT Deli Group who came for work.

"I went around several hotels looking for rooms, but they were mostly already fully occupied. They said there are many events happening these past few days, which is why hotel rooms have been booked in advance," he said on Saturday (27/4/2024).

A hotel staff explained that there were indeed many events going on during that week. There were several seminars, trainings, and also a motorcycle racing event held at Sirkuit Ratona Motorsport. This national-level racing event was attended by hundreds of racers. The same goes for various seminars and trainings which were also attended by tens to hundreds of participants. It's no wonder that hotels were fully booked.

When going around to several hotels to look for a room, billboards with the words "welcome to training and seminar participants, as well as various events" are clearly displayed in the hotel's premises.

This city is also unique because it still has forest cover, agricultural land and plantations, up to more than 50 percent.

Behind the Palopo City Hall, a field is filled with white tents and a large stage. A grand event will be held by one of the banks. Restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and street food spots are always crowded. Palopo is truly bustling.

City of Services in East South Sulawesi

On that Saturday, Indra told a story about his visit to Palopo City for work matters. The company he works for deals in stationery and office equipment. As a city that is considered fairly developed, Palopo has become a focus for business development in recent years.

This choice is not without reason. There are many universities in this city. In Palopo, various service businesses are quite developed. A number of national banks have branches in this city. There are also quite a lot of hospitals and health clinics for a small city. For the office equipment and supplies-based company where Indra works, this is an opportunity.

The acting Mayor of Palopo, Asrul Sani, stated that there are at least 16 higher education institutions in the city, including two universities. There are also seven hospitals, including two government-owned ones, one of which is a referral hospital.

Also read: Palopo City in Numbers

"Palopo is a small but strategic and unique city. In the provincial development plan, Luwu Raya has been designated as an integrated economic region, and Palopo's role is quite strategic as a hub. This city is also unique because it still has forest cover as well as agricultural and plantation land, covering more than 50 percent. All of this should be seen as an opportunity," he said.

As a city of services and trade, the presence of universities and hospitals can be encouraged to develop various business sectors. In addition to its economic impact, the development of these sectors could also be a solution for absorbing the workforce.

"In addition to services, Palopo is continuously being encouraged for the development of tourism and agricultural and plantation production sectors. Land management for agriculture and plantations would also be made as tourism objects. In other words, agriculture benefits from production and becomes a tourist destination," said Asrul.

The development of the education and health sectors in Palopo is like a magnet that attracts the growth of many other sectors. In addition to banks, food franchise businesses are also thriving.

Also read: Growth of 270.2 Million People and Demands for Changes in Urban Design

Franchise restaurants such as Pizza Hut, McDonald's, KFC, up to Richeese Factory and various others are present in Palopo. Cafes or coffee shops, including national franchises, are also not left behind in opening their branches here.

"Because of this, many universities, including those with a Faculty of Medicine, have made Palopo a destination for studying. Prospective students from the Luwu, North Luwu, and East Luwu regions have easy access to Palopo," said Afrianto Nurdin, an academic and researcher at the Faculty of Economics at Mega Buana University, Palopo.

According to Nurdin, the growth of the education sector has stimulated the development of service and trade industries. This is in addition to the healthcare sector in Palopo. In fact, clinics and hospitals are no longer only serving the residents of Palopo, but also the surrounding areas.

"Boarding houses, restaurants and trade businesses continue to grow. When people come for treatment, their families definitely need a hotel or boarding house. Likewise students. Of course they will eat, even go for a walk. "Residents from the area around Palopo even come here just to hang out and have recreation," said Afrianto.

The presence of higher education has become an option for some students who are reluctant to go to Makassar.

"I chose to study in Palopo because I don't have to be far from my parents in Masamba. It doesn't take long to go back home. Occasionally, my family comes to visit and we also go for a walk," said Nurhikmah (20), a student at one of the universities.

With this growth and Palopo's continuous development, the challenge is migration that impacts population growth and rapid urbanization processes. Palopo is crossed by several rivers, some of which originate in neighboring districts such as Luwu.

"Concerns such as floods have already occurred. In the future, there may be population explosions, followed by congestion and various other issues. Therefore, urban planning should be reassessed," said Afrianto.

The Acting Mayor of Palopo, Asrul Sani, stated that the threat of various environmental and social issues as a result of urban growth must be considered for the future.

Go to Palopo, seek knowledge, seek health and hunt for culinary delights

About AI Translated Article

City of Services in East South Sulawesi