Danantara targets GBK revitalisation to boost foreign tourist spending

Jakarta - Head of the Investment Management Agency (BPI) Danantara Rosan Roeslani is targeting a comprehensive revitalisation of the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) complex in Jakarta to increase the average spending of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia. “Our average spending is only around US$1,100. So, how to increase that average spending as well,” Rosan said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Monday. According to Rosan, Indonesia’s tourism sector competitiveness still lags behind several other Southeast Asian countries, necessitating the development of more competitive tourism destinations and ecosystems. “If we look at Indonesia’s tourism sector compared to ASEAN countries, we are still quite far behind Thailand, Singapore, and other countries,” he stated. Therefore, Danantara will implement a tourism development strategy targeting various market segments, from mass tourism to special interest tourism with high economic value. He said the development will combine the potential of the mass tourism market with premium tourism segments that prioritise experience and service quality. Rosan noted that the tourism infrastructure development is also in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for Danantara to comprehensively improve the supporting ecosystem. “Not just the tourism itself, but also logistics, comfort, transportation, accessibility, and cleanliness. Everything must be viewed as a whole,” he said. Beyond improving the supporting ecosystem, the GBK area will also be developed as a new economic centre based on sports tourism that meets international standards. “GBK will remain, but everything will be enhanced and perfected to meet international or world-class standards,” Rosan added. Rosan did not provide details on the implementation timeline or the investment required for the GBK revitalisation project. According to him, the project is still in the discussion and comprehensive area design phase.