Bamsoet Usul City Rally Masuk Agenda Wisata Otomotif Nasional

Chairman of the Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI) Board of Trustees Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet) encourages city rallies to be included in the national automotive tourism agenda. (IST)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI) Board of Trustees Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet) encourages city rallies to be included in the national automotive tourism agenda. According to him, this concept is not only a motorsport event, but also able to drive tourism, local economy, and introduce the history of the city to the public.

The proposal was conveyed by Bamsoet when releasing the participants of the Teladan Metropolitan City Rally (TMCR) 2026 at the Jakarta City Hall, Sunday (28/6), in the context of welcoming the 499th anniversary of Jakarta.

"TMCR 2026 shows that automotive sports can be a means of public education, enlivening tourism, and at the same time strengthening community togetherness. Models like this are worth continuing to develop," said Bamsoet.

He assessed that Jakarta has strong capital to hold city rallies regularly. In addition to having many historical areas and cultural icons, the capital's infrastructure is considered capable of supporting the organization of large-scale automotive events.

Unlike races that prioritize speed, city rallies place more emphasis on navigation accuracy, traffic discipline, ability to read travel directions, and participants' knowledge of the historical locations they pass through. Therefore, this activity is considered more open to be followed by various circles, ranging from the automotive community, families, to students.

"Jakarta has a long history and strong cultural identity. City rallies can be a new way to introduce the city while encouraging sports tourism," he said.

According to Bamsoet, the holding of automotive events also has a wide economic impact. The presence of participants and their communities increases the activities of hotels, restaurants, transportation, culinary centers, to UMKM players around the activity location.

"Every automotive event creates a multiplier effect for the economy. Hotels, restaurants, transportation, and MSMEs also feel the benefits of increased mobility of participants and tourists," he said.

TMCR 2026 was attended by various automotive communities and became part of the series of celebrations for the 499th anniversary of the City of Jakarta. Present at the event were, among others, the Special Presidential Envoy for Youth Generation and Arts Workers Raffi Ahmad and the Chairman of IMI DKI Jakarta, Ananda Eko.