Some 3,500 people grouped in 65 contingents representing Jakarta's indigenous Betawi community, several other Indonesian regions, such as Yogyakarta and Ponorogo (East Java), Bima (West Nusa Tenggara), and Papua, as well as foreign countries, including South Korea, Morocco, India, and China, also participated in the carnival.
"We organize this in order to invite everybody to join in the celebrations to welcome Jakarta's anniversary," Anies Baswedan, the Jakarta governor, stated after officially opening the Jakarnaval on Sunday (June 30, 2019).
The Jakarnaval 2019 parade, themed "The New Face of Jakarta," was organized as part of the celebrations to commemorate Jakarta's 492nd anniversary.
The embassies of Morocco, South Korea, Belgium, Pakistan, Japan, and Australia, among others, took part in the event, Head of Destination and Marketing, Jakarta Tourism Office, Hari Wibowo had informed ANTARA earlier.
Jakarnaval has been included in the ministry's annual calendar of tourism events. Next year, travel agents will be able to promote and sell Jakarnaval in their tourism packages, Wibowo added.
He is upbeat that the event would receive greater publicity following cooperation between the Jakarta administration and the Ministry of Tourism.
Kepulauan Seribu (One Thousand Islands) District, which is under the administration of the Jakarta Special Region, presented several artists dressed in vibrant traditional clothing based on the theme of "One Thousand Colors" during the parade.
Rich and colorful Indonesian traditions and culture displayed during the carnival captivated a Belgian tourist, Floortje Clerix.
"I am pleased to see those costumes, dances, and music, as all of them showcase Indonesian traditions. They are very colorful. It is interesting to be able to see the varied cultures of Indonesia," Clerix stated.
Jakarnaval was earlier organized in 2018 after being held in 2015.
While inaugurating the event, Baswedan expressed optimism that the annual event would help boost the microeconomic and macroeconomic conditions of the capital city.
Translator: Arindra Meodia, Fardah
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
