October 29, 2025 | 07:33 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government of the Indonesian city of Bandung, West Java, continues to push for growth in the tourism sector this year. Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan emphasizes the impact of MICE-focused (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Exhibition) strategies to drive residents' economic activities.
"As MICE activities thrive, all sector follows suit, from transportation, hotels, restaurants, vendors, to event organizers," he said in a written statement on Wednesday, October 29.
"The consequence is traffic congestion and rising prices, but these are good problems," he added.
Farhan said he's averse to relying on Bandung's well-known culinary reputation to drive the economy. Instead, the city government collaborates with various stakeholders to hold regular large-scale events such as running competitions, art exhibitions like the ITB Art Market, and the Asia Africa Festival.
According to him, these events are able to attract tourists with high purchasing power and strengthen the image of Bandung as a creative and classy city. "We want Bandung to be known for premium events, not ones that deface the city. We are focusing on art, culture, sports, and MICE," he said.
Referring to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data in October, the hotel occupancy rate in Bandung City skyrocketed during the period from July to October 2025. In July, coinciding with the Pocari Run competition, the hotel occupancy rate reached more than 80 percent, far above the national average.
Furthermore, he said, Telkomsel Mobility data signaled an increase in tourist mobility of up to 127 percent on July 19-20, from 8,662 to 19,702 people. "Visitors from outside Bandung reached 53 percent, mostly from South Jakarta, around 1,600 people," he said.
Despite the decline in August due to government budget efficiency and a series of students and workers protests, Farhan said the occupancy rate bounced back swiftly thanks to the success of subsequent events, such as the Asia Africa Festival and the Bandung Great Sale.
"Now the hotels are full again. The average occupancy is above 80 percent every weekend. This is evidence that events are the primary drivers of tourism," he said.
According to Farhan, these events double as entertainment and economic strategy for the city. MICE activities and large-scale festivals have proven to drive transactions across sectors, ranging from hospitality, transportation to SMEs.
Based on the transaction analysis per visitor, the transaction value during the ITB Art Market and Asia Africa Festival reached Rp4,000 per person, while during the Pocari Run it exceeded Rp25,000 per person.
"Large volume with small transactions is good, and vice versa. The important thing is that the economy circulates and communities enjoy the benefits," he said.
As a result, he said, the Bandung city government continues to strengthen collaboration with creative communities, hotels, and tourism industry players to ensure that the city's event calendar has a significant impact. Farhan is optimistic about the future prospects of Bandung's tourism. He believes that agenda and data-based strategies will maintain the city's economic growth momentum.
"We will continue to make events the main driver of the economy. If tourism thrives, then the people's economy will also thrive," he said.
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