Jakarta Fair fails to reach target due to weather problem

JAKARTA (JP): Worries that the month-long Jakarta Fair, which closes today, would fail to reach its target to attract three million visitors have come true.

As of yesterday, the organizer, PT Jakarta International Trade Fair Corporation (JITC), had recorded only 1,715,839 visitors, taking in Rp 2.5 billion ($1.2 million) in ticket sales.

Since 1992, when PT JITC moved the Jakarta Fairgrounds from Monas Square to Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, the organizer has never reached its target.

In 1992, PT JITC targeted 2.5 million visitors, but only 1.6 million attended the fair. In 1993, the number of visitors to the Jakarta Fair rose to 1.8 million, still below the organizer's target of 2.5 million.

The fair recorded its best turnout last year with 2.2 million visitors, though they again fell short of their 2.5 million goal.

Soekardjo Hardjosoewito, the Director of PT JITC, conceded that his company has had major trouble meeting the target.

The most serious problem, he said, was the unpredictable weather. The frequent drizzling rain over the past month has discouraged people from attending the fair.

When rains soaked Jakarta on the fourth day, for example, only 19,000 people came to the fair. The number was a four-year record low, he said.

According to Soekardjo, an unreliable transport system was also to blame for the flop. Many visitors complained that they found it difficult to find buses home at night. What's more, taxi drivers generally refused to use meters and people had to pay higher fares.

Transport remained a major problem although the organizer in cooperation with city bus company, PPD, had mobilized more than 450 buses for visitors.

The other problem was the parking lot, which Soekardjo said was far from adequate.

Some visitors said that this year's Jakarta fair was less attractive because of the absence of such popular participants as the dinosaur show from Japan.

The fair is scheduled to be closed by Soekardjo tonight. (29)