When talking about the future of Indonesian tourism, we often refer to Bali, Borobudur, Lake Toba, Bajo's Plane, the King of Ampat, or any other special destination. But there's one fundamental question we need to answer: where does the Nusantara tour begin?
Most of the mancanegara tourists will first set foot in Jakarta. So Jakarta is in fact not only the capital of the nation, but also a potentially Nusantara City of Paritur, the gateway that introduced the beauty of Indonesia to the world. And the center of that vision is Old Town Jakarta.
Amsterdam in the East
Not many are aware that the Old City of Jakarta is one of the most valuable historical regions in Asia; it's a battalion legacy, designed in its time as a miniature Amsterdam in Asia; if Manhattan becomes a New York symbol, then Old Town has the potential to become a Jakarta symbol.
Historical buildings, canals, museums, old warehouses, port Sunda coconut, Chinatown, Arab village, until traces of various civilizations that have met in Nusantara were in a relatively close radius. Old Town is not just a Jakarta asset. Old Town is a nation asset.
An idea once began
In 2013, I had the honor to encourage the idea of revitalization of Old Town Jakarta. At that time I asked Jakarta to join a consortium revitalization of the Old City, among which were the Great Sedayu Group, the Great Podomoro Group, Intiland, Mas Land Light, Murdaya Group, Saratoga, and a number of other businesses.
The idea was simple but large: building an authoritarian body that was able to manage the revitalization of Old Town in a continuity of 25 to 50 years. Because building Old Town isn't a five year project. It's a cross-generation project.
The idea was to receive a positive welcome from Governor DKI Jakarta at the time, Mr. Joko Widodo. Even at the time, Minister BUMN showed tremendous support by opening up the possibility of the creation of about 13 ToKEN2X buildings that control almost 40 percent of the hermit assets in the Old Town region.
New Momentum in MRT Era
Today, more than a decade later, Jakarta has a much stronger capital. Jakarta now has MRT, LRT, Commuter Line, TransJakarta, freeway, and connectivity that never had before. The existence of MRT opens up a huge opportunity for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) development around Old Town.
With a sensitive approach to the value of history, new development can be directed at low buildings, for example five floors down, which keep the area's Hererion characters, boutique hotels, art galleries, creative centers, creative museums, cultural centers, and tourist facilities can grow without destroying the identity of the Old City.
Learn from Beijing
Beijing receives over a hundred million tourist visits every year, both domestic and international. Of course Jakarta has different characters. But the lesson is clear: cities that have powerful historical identities, good transportation access, and modern infrastructure support are capable of being a very large scale tourist magnet.
Imagine if Jakarta one day was able to attract tens of millions to nearly a hundred million tourist visits every year. Then the benefits don't stop in Jakarta. The tourists will flow all over Nusantara. They will visit Bali, Borobudur, Lake Toba, Lap Bajo, King of Ambat, Mandalika, Cape Dimple, End of Culon, Bromo, Toraja, and hundreds of other destinations. Jakarta will be the entrance, while all of Indonesia enjoys its economic benefits.
Available Ecosystem
There aren't many cities in Southeast Asia that have an ecosystem as powerful as Jakarta. Jakarta is supported by Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, dozens of five-star hotels, MRT and LRT, international ports, Jakarta International Expo Cemetery, Ancol, Beautiful Mini Park, the world-class shopping center, and modern business area. Even the metropolitan area of Jabobarbek has strengthened that attraction.
ICE BSD has become one of the largest MICE centers in Southeast Asia. President of University Convention Center in Jababreka, various conference facilities, hotels, international hospitals, and educational centers will be part of mutually supportive ecosystems.
Building Nusantara pride
Under the leadership of Governor DKI Jakarta Mr. Pramono Anung, I hope the revitalization spirit of Old Town can be restored. Not only does it beautify old buildings, but it builds a region that can tell the world about Indonesian travel. The Old City can be a place where history meets the future, a place where cultural heritage meets creative economics, a place where tourists first fall in love with Indonesia.
The revitalization of Old Town is not just a Jakarta project. It's a national pride project. Because when Old Town rises, Jakarta will become an Indonesian display. And when Jakarta becomes the gateway tourism of Nusantara, all of Indonesia will move forward. Let us make the Old City the pride of the people of Nusantara and legacy of future generations.
I think this article could also be a good thing to deliver to the Governor of DKI Jakarta, the Ministry of Parish, the BUMN Ministry, and the property developers who were once involved in the revitalization of Old Town.
