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Palembang Targets Bidar Festival Revenue to Account for 35 Percent of PAD
WINDONESIA August 26, 2024
Bidar boats in Palembang City. (IDN Times/Feny Maulia Agustin)
The Palembang City Government is once again holding the Traditional Bidar Boat Festival for biduk layar (bidar) or local riverboats. The annual event is scheduled to take place from Aug. 29 to 31, 2024, on the Musi River.
"Palembang's PAD (locally-generated income) target from the bidar [festival] is 35 percent [of total PAD], up from last year's 30 percent [of total PAD]," Palembang Tourism Office (Dispar) Head Sulaiman Amin stated on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.
The bidar festival was opened with a culinary exhibition for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as part of the Palembang Expo, with the main event being a bidar competition on the Musi River that will take place on Aug. 31, 2024.
"While there are already seven participants [for the bidar competition], the hope is [for the racers] to reach 10 to 15 [participants] if possible," he said.
In addition to racers from Palembang, the bidar boat race on the Musi River will also be enlivened by participants from outside the city, including from the Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) and Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir (PALI) regencies. There are currently three groups of bidar race participants from Palembang.
"Then OKI and PALI sent two contingents each. River sailboats representing Palembang include the Dispar's decorated boats," Sulaiman added.
He also informed that the Palembang City Government requires all visitors and participants to use the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) cashless payment method during the Bidar Festival and Palembang Expo.
"It is mandatory to use QRIS because we are launching a Bank Indonesia program to find out the impact of tourist visits and money coming into Palembang on [the city's] economic growth through QRIS transactions," Sulaiman explained.
Source: sumsel.idntimes.com