Jakarta tourism in the red amid lack of info, promotion

Thom Smyth, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Wed, 02/11/2009 12:11 PM  

 

Windows to the soul: Some tourists peer out windows at the Jakarta History Museum in this file photo. JP/J. ADIGUNA
 

Tourism operators blame the global financial crisis, traffic congestion, a lack of information and infrastructure, and government inaction for a drop in visitor numbers and lost revenue at some key historic sites and tourist attractions in the city. 

“On a weekday, we would have only about 60 people. On weekends it is up to 200, and the numbers of Western tourists are decreasing,” said Yogi, bar manager at tourist icon Café Batavia near Jakarta History Museum in West Jakarta. 

“Most of our customers, about 60 percent, are tourists. From the beginning of 2008 until now, we feel we have missed out on a lot of tourists. Business has been harder.” 

The Arts and Ceramics Museum and Maritime Museum, both also in West Jakarta, also reported a drop in foreign visitors, while the Jakarta History Museum revealed that despite a rise in overall visitors, it saw a drop in the proportion of foreign visitors. 

 

Cradle of independence: The façade of the National Awakening Museum in Central Jakarta remains quiet. The building was formerly used by Dutch rulers as a school of medicine for native Indonesians. JP/R. BERTO WEDHATAMA
 

Although Indonesia failed to reach its 2008 tourism target of seven million visitors (later revised down in October 2008), Culture and Tourism Ministry statistics show 6.4 million people visited Indonesia in 2008, with strong growth in passenger traffic through all major airports. 

The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport reported an almost 28 percent increase in the year to October 2008 on previous annual visitor figures, with 1,197,500 recorded entries through the airport. 

But tourism operators report these numbers are not resulting in increased revenue or tourism traffic for their businesses and attractions, which operators are attributing to a lack of tourism information for visiting travellers and an “ineffective” advertising campaign. 

Bank Mandiri Museum director Firman Harris called on the city tourism agency to provide more information to travellers. 

He said more information should be provided in English and other languages. 

“In every public area there needs to be information, at every hotel. The agency should be more active in promoting Jakarta in public areas, online and through travel agents,” Firman said. 

“The government could provide a program of events every month to travel agents so they can promote the events to their customers.” 

Bar Manager Yogi agreed. “Kota is a tourist area, but there is no information center.  Tourists don’t know where to go. 

“Some guests have their own information, like the Lonely Planet guide, but nothing from the tourism agency. 

When some guests ask where to go I give them magazines like Jakarta Java Kini or Timeout Jakarta because they have better information than anything from the agency.” 

Official Culture and Tourism Ministry figures show that while the average time international visitors stay in Indonesia is falling, down to 8.5 days in 2008 from the 2007 figure of 9.1 days, they are spending more while they are in the country. 

Figures show the average amount spent by tourists during their stay was US$1178 (Rp 14.02 million), accounting for some $7.6 billion in foreign exchange income, up from $970 (Rp11.6 million) each to a total of $5.4 billion in 2007. 

Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said earlier that tourists would spend less this year because of the global financial crisis, but that visitor numbers should still grow to 6.5 million arrivals spending on average about $1,000 (Rp 11.9 million) each. 

Austrian tourist David Markvicka, stopping over in Jakarta en route to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province to go diving, said he had enjoyed his time in Jakarta, but the lack of information on public transport and entertainment was frustrating. 

“I just read in Lonely Planet about Jakarta, just basic tourist information, nothing from the government or administration. I think it would be good to hand out maps at the airport or on flights, especially about the transport system because I can’t really understand it,” Markvicka said. 

Arie Budhiman, the head tourism agency, did not respond to calls for comment.

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