Becakayu Toll underpass proposed as an educational culinary tourism destination
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The East Jakarta City Government (Pemkot Jakarta Timur) has proposed utilising the underpass area of the Becakayu Toll Road as a centre for culinary and educational tourism based on local agriculture in order to encourage the utilisation of urban spaces.
Thus, spaces that are not optimal could become centres of creative economy and new community-based tourism destinations. One of the proposals that emerged is the plan to develop the area under the Becakayu Toll into a culinary centre and educational tourism based on local agriculture, said East Jakarta Mayor Munjirin at the opening of the technical guidance activity for creative economy development year 2026 in East Jakarta, on Tuesday.
The proposal arose after a study visit to Batu, Malang, and Surabaya, East Java. From those visits, he admitted seeing great potential in developing an experience economy that directly involves micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
According to Munjirin, the simple concept in rural tourist areas that leverages the natural atmosphere can be adapted in East Jakarta. He also assessed that empty spaces under infrastructure, such as underpasses, have great potential when packaged creatively.
“We see there, there are simple stalls by the rice fields, but busy. The concept like that can be brought to East Jakarta,” Munjirin said.
In addition, the underpass area is quite wide and close to residents’ agricultural potential. The area is believed to be developed into a productive public space that not only functions as empty land but also as a centre of community economic activities.
He also proposed the concept of interactive culinary tourism (self cooking), where visitors can select ingredients directly from a mini garden or the available plants, and then prepare them themselves at a place provided.
“This is not only about eating, but the experience. Visitors can pick ingredients themselves, cook them themselves, and that becomes a draw,” Munjirin said.
Besides the underpass, he also highlighted the potential development of traditional markets as shopping tourism destinations. He imagines a system of scheduled visits for tourists to enter markets, interact with traders, and purchase local products directly.
This concept, according to Munjirin, will not only increase traders’ income but also raise the image of traditional markets as part of the city’s tourist experience.
In developing the concept, the East Jakarta City Government encourages the formation of an integrated platform for SMEs and Jakpreneurs to be integrated in a single system of promotion and distribution.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Office of East Jakarta, Yayang Kustiawan, disclosed that the idea would be studied further to ensure infrastructure readiness, involvement of business actors, and its economic impact on the community.