Seed Snacks Made from Purple Sweet Potatoes as Souvenirs to Support Wellness Tourism in Manado

Abstract

Wellness tourism is a form of travel aimed at improving an individual’s health and well-being and strengthening the connection between mind, body, and spirit. According to surveys from 2023 and 2024, it is estimated that approximately 56.41 percent of health and wellness tourism will become a major tourism trend in the coming years. Health tourism itself offers significant benefits for a destination, including market diversification, increased tourist spending, mitigation of seasonal fluctuations, as well as the creation of investment and economic benefits for rural areas and their surroundings. In this context, snacks made from purple sweet potatoes support health tourism. These snacks hold potential for tourists seeking health benefits. Most of the baked goods currently sold to both local and international tourists often feature health or wellness themes, although the concept of health tourism has a niche market that attracts loyal tourists—especially those who prioritize a healthy lifestyle. In the city of Manado, it is very difficult—even nearly impossible—to find local culinary souvenirs or snacks that promote a healthy lifestyle. Purple sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), known locally in Manado as “batata ungu,” are a plant with health benefits. Using a descriptive-experimental approach, researchers will create snacks made from purple sweet potatoes. The research results show clear differences in color and taste, as revealed in interviews with five informants (loyal customers). Moving forward, this product will be developed by expanding distribution through a network of MSMEs that sell souvenirs in the city.