Jakarta-Shopping '94 to open soon, big discounts expected
Jakarta-Shopping '94 to open soon, big discounts expected
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will hold the Jakarta
Shopping '94 to boost the capital's role as a shopping
destination in the region.
The three-month long event from June 16 to Aug. 10, which will
be held by the city administration and the Jakarta Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (KADIN Jaya), will transform Jakarta into a
shopping paradise for both domestic and foreign tourists.
Deputy chairman of Kadin Jaya Rainal Rais said yesterday that
the organizing committee has urged all Jakarta's major department
stores to offer a discount of at least 50 percent.
He said that Jak-Shop '94, will have approximately 800
participants consisting of traditional markets, department
stores, supermarkets, and cooperatives.
Jak-Shop '94 is a response to similar festivities overseas
such as the Singapore Great Sale, a two month shopping spree in
Singapore, Hong Kong's Fashion Week, Japan's Cherry Blossom
festival and Holland's Tong-tong market.
"We found that the Mangga Dua (wholesale center) and the Tanah
Abang markets have attracted many foreign tourists because the
prices are cheaper than overseas," he said.
He said that Jak-Shop '94 is scheduled to be opened by Deputy
Governor R.S. Museno in Kramat Jati Indah shopping center, East
Jakarta, on June 16 and will be closed by Governor Jakarta
Surjadi Soedirdja at Pondok Indah Mall, South Jakarta, on Aug.
10.
Azwir Dainy Tara, chief of Kadin Jaya's domestic trade
compartment, said the organizing committee will establish a
special team which will monitor the reliability of the
participants.
"We will control the application of the discount and the
provision of discounted goods because we plan to make the event
as one of the city's attractive festivities".
He explained that the committee has promoted the event abroad,
including London, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Singapore.
He added that the committee spent around Rp 500 million
(US$231,803) for promotional activities inside and outside the
country.
Azwir was optimistic that Jak-Shop '94 will also attract
domestic tourists as he believes that their buying power is
strong.
Attractive
Earlier on Monday an official urged the tourism industry to
create attractive tourism packages for domestic tourists who are
a potential market for the industry, particularly for the
shopping sector.
"Don't underestimate their buying power because they dominate
the shopping activities at such shopping centers as Mangga Dua
and Tanah Abang," said Fauzi Bowo, head of the Municipal Tourism
Office.
Fauzi told The Jakarta Post that the office has tried to
encourage the Association of Indonesian Travel Agencies (ASITA),
the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI),
airlines companies and many related industries to make such an
attractive tourism packages for domestic tourists.
"So far, we already have all the (shopping) facilities but we
could not make those facilities into attractive packages," he
said, adding that the competitive prices of goods at Jakarta's
shopping centers is one of its advantages.
Citing a statement of Minister of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunication Joop Ave, Fauzi said that Jakarta is preparing
to be Asia's capital of fashion since the country is a major
producer and exporter of textiles and garments.
However, Fauzi acknowledged that an inadequate supply of
skilled and qualified manpower in the tourism industry remains a
constraint on tourism in the city.
He stressed that Jakarta should prepare all the facilities and
skilled manpower to anticipate the growth of the industry.
The government projected that the number of foreign tourists
who visit Indonesia will reach 8.4 million this year, slightly
higher than 7,995,000 people in 1992 and 8,280,556 people last
year.
The number of foreign tourists who visit Jakarta has also
increased, from 1,024,270 people in 1992 to 1,107,956 people last
year. The number is expected to further increase to 1.2 million
people by the end of this year.(03)