TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the DKI Jakarta Tourism Agency, Arie Budiman, said that beginning 2014, Jakarta will throw many parties and hold exhibitions for the people, much more compared to 2012 (34 events) and 2011 (19 events).

"Next year, there are plans to hold a festival or an exhibition every week," Arie said on Tuesday.

Arie did not go into detail but mentioned there will be "hundreds" of events.

The government has run a number of projects vigorously in support of the above—the construction of a mini theater at Tugu Monas, an opera house at the Ria-Rio Reservoir and a stage in the Setu Babakan area.

Some events will be scaled internationally while simultaneously remaining “for the people".

The main agenda is to boost tourism because typically, international tourists merely pass through Jakarta in transit to tourist attractions outside the capital.

Data from the Tourism Agency reveals that up until August 2013, as many as 1,502,986 foreign tourists came to Jakarta. The majority came from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Arie stated that Governor Joko Widodo wishes to turn Jakarta into a lively capital bustling with social interactions. Festivals, parties and exhibitions are just a few methods the governor will use to encourage the public into mingling and interacting with one another.

SYAILENDRA