Jakarta's tourism authorities are planning to organise a roadshow in Bangkok in a bid to attract more Thais to visit the Indonesian capital, saying the city is ready to welcome tourists and business visitors now that the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided.
According to Hari Wibowo, the head of the Marketing and Attraction Division under Jakarta's Department of Tourism and Creative Economy, while Indonesia's capital city is set to move to Nusantara in East Kalimantan, Jakarta will remain the nation's beating heart, business hub, and a major entry point for international tourists to the country.
While Covid-19 brought most economic activities to a halt, Jakarta did not stop growing throughout the pandemic, he said, citing the newly completed, 82,000-seat Jakarta National Stadium, which features a retractable roof, as an example.
"The pandemic forced the world to reset, but Jakarta built on its foundations instead, with many new places constructed during Covid-19," he said.
Thais 'welcome'
Mr Wibowo acknowledged that when it comes to tourist numbers, Jakarta lags far behind Bangkok.
"Jakarta used to welcome 2.5 million tourists per year on average. But after the pandemic, the figure dipped below 500,000," he said, noting most tourists in Jakarta came from Malaysia, China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.
"This year, the figures remained low because China is still closed off to the world. Hopefully, by the end of next year, we'll see one million tourists visit Jakarta, including Thais."
In an effort to attract more visitors, tourism authorities in Jakarta have launched several campaigns in Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo, and Dubai. Next year, he said, they hope to promote Jakarta as a destination in Bangkok.
"Tourists can explore Jakarta before moving on to other cities. We are launching a number of walking and food tours to appeal to those who want to see various places of interest in the city. Those who are more health-conscious, meanwhile, can take part in a running and/or cycling tour around the capital," he said.
Popular attractions
During a sightseeing tour of the city, Mr Wibowo took members of the media to a newly inaugurated pedestrian crossing in South Jakarta, which has become one of Jakarta's most popular landmarks.
Officially opened on March 10, the bridge was built to resemble a phinisi, a traditional ship used by Indonesian seafarers from South Sulawesi. The crossing, which is illuminated at night, has become a popular photo backdrop for tourists and local residents alike.
"This bridge doubles as a monument honouring medical personnel who lost their lives during the early stages of the pandemic," he said.
Jakarta is also famous for its shopping centres, with 385 malls located all across the city's boundaries. For example, Sarinah, the city's first department store, specialises in made-in-Indonesia goods, he said.
Neo-Soho, meanwhile, hosts Jakarta Aquarium Safari, which is the city's biggest indoor aquarium. Featuring over 3,500 unique species, the aquarium was recognised as an Indonesian Leading Conservation Destination 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 by Indonesia Travel Tourism Awards.
Improved transport
In an effort to encourage tourists to explore Jakarta, the government has moved to improve the city's footpaths and public transport network.
At present, visitors in Jakarta can use the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit system to travel along the city's north-south axis. Once completed, the system will span 108 kilometres, providing a connection to Jakarta's outer suburbs and satellite cities.
The MRT is connected to the bus rapid transit network known as TransJakarta, whose buses run along a dozen corridors across the city. The buses are supplemented by TransLokal, smaller minibuses which go into local neighbourhoods.
Many of the city's attractions are located along these bus corridors, including the National Monument, built to mark Indonesia's independence struggle; the Istiqlal Mosque, which is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and sixth-largest in the world; and the Jakarta Cathedral, located right across from the Istiqlal.
Mr Wibowo admitted that not unlike Bangkok, Jakarta suffers from chronic traffic congestion, which the government is trying to resolve by adopting a transit-oriented development (TOD) approach.
"We are still working to link the city's eastern and western suburbs, which we hope to do by 2030," he said.
Traffic authorities in Jakarta have also adopted novel approaches to limit trips into congested downtown areas, including the odd/even system that sees cars with plates ending with an odd number being allowed to traverse certain roads on odd-numbered days, and vice versa.
Furthermore, the Jakarta government plans to completely switch to electric buses by 2030, Mr Wibowo said. Efforts are ongoing to get more people to drive electric cars, but the installation of charging units has proven to be a hurdle, he said.
When asked to comment on the ongoing plan to develop Jakarta's outdated infrastructure while plans to move the capital to East Kalimantan are afoot, Mr Wibowo said Jakarta would continue to play an important role.
"Even if Jakarta ceases to become the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta will continue to be the business capital of Indonesia," he said.