Mataram Tourism Office Notes Residents Prefer Cafes Over Tourist Attractions

The Head of the Mataram City Tourism Office, Cahya Samudra, stated that visit levels to flagship destinations in Mataram have experienced a decline. Cahya suspects that Mataram residents are choosing to spend time in the city’s burgeoning cafe scene rather than visiting various tourist attractions.

“The challenge is indeed that these hangout spots are increasing in Mataram City. On the positive side, there are many new spots (cafes), but this causes visitors to be absorbed and divided across several locations,” said Cahya during an interview on Thursday (3/9/2026).

Furthermore, Cahya assessed that the low number of visits is also caused by budget efficiencies, which have impacted the organisation of tourism events in Mataram. Activities such as the Reggae Festival, Sunrise to Sunset, and the Durian Festival, which were held in previous years, are now confirmed to be absent.

“This year, only the Peresean [traditional combat] remains,” he added.

According to Cahya, the decline in visit levels and the sub-optimal occupancy of vendor stalls have impacted the realisation of tourism sector levies in Mataram. From a tourism levy target of Rp 800 million, the Mataram Tourism Office recorded a realisation of below 50 per cent.

“The achievement (levy) up to August is still around 30 per cent. Visits have decreased and vendors have not yet fully occupied the stalls. Meanwhile, the target is calculated based on the total capacity of the stalls,” he explained.

Nevertheless, the Mataram Tourism Office continues to boost tourism levies through various programmes. These include the improvement of facilities and ornamental ponds at Loang Baloq Park, the rehabilitation of vendor stalls, and the strengthening of flagship events such as Peresean, the Ampenan Heritage Walk, and Friday Relax.