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View all search resultsKota Tua vendors back revamp but fear being sidelined
Jakarta’s plan to give its historic Kota Tua district a European-inspired makeover has won cautious support from longtime vendors, who welcome more tourists but want assurances that they will still have a place in the district’s future.
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Musicians perform during the 10th Colours of Culture Festival 2026 in Jakarta’s Kota Tua district on Friday, Oct. 16. The annual cultural festival celebrates Indonesia’s diversity through art, traditional textiles, music and culinary offerings under the theme “Tanda Mata Indonesia” (A Gift from Indonesia). The festival runs through Oct. 18. (Antara/Fathul Habib Sholeh)
T
he Jakarta administration’s plan to give the historic Kota Tua district a European-inspired makeover has won cautious support from longtime vendors, who welcome more tourists but want assurances that they will still have a place in the district’s future.
“Kota Tua would be nothing without our communities,” said Suwandi, 45, who has rented bicycles to visitors in the capital's old quarter since 2008. Without the bike renters, street musicians, painters and palm readers, he said, there would be little left for visitors to see.
Under a pink Dutch-style hat in the bright Sunday midday sun, Suwandi watched visitors, foreign and domestic, stroll past his colorful ontel (antique-style bicycles), waiting for someone to stop for a ride.
He would be “very happy” if the plan by Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung to revitalize the district brought more foreign tourists. But so far, officials had only delivered speeches in Kota Tua, he said, without approaching him or other vendors to discuss the plans.
Pramono announced on Oct. 12 that Kota Tua will be redeveloped with the “middle-up” market in mind, in hopes of attracting more European tourists and creating an atmosphere that was “a bit Europe-ish”, state news agency Antara reported.
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For Kota Tua’s longtime vendors, more tourists could mean better business, but they also want a say in how the city plans to transform the historic district where they have built their livelihoods.
