THE PLEZIER CITY OF SOLO

(A STUDY ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF URBAN TOURISM

IN SURAKARTA)
1. Deria Adi Wijaya* (Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sebelas Maret,
Surakarta, Indonesia)
2. Heddy Shri Ahimsa-Putra (Sekolah Pascasarjana, Universitas Gadjah Mada,
Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
3. Chafid Fandeli (Sekolah Pascasarjana, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta,
Indonesia)

*Correspondence author : deriaadi13@gmail.com

THE PLEZIER CITY OF SOLO

(A STUDY ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF URBAN TOURISM IN

SURAKARTA)

This study was conducted due to the policy issues of a city‟s development based
on the concept of urban tourism which actually needs an image of urban tourism
in the past as a close bond of continuity between the past, the present, and the
future. By employing the transformational approach, this urban tourism study is
expected to provide a clear image of urban tourism in a city from time to time.
Surakarta City or known as Solo is considered as one of the historic cities that
has the potential as an urban tourism destination since it has interesting historical
phenomena of urban tourism which are feasible to be studied further. The
objective of this study is to investigate the form and image transformation of
urban tourism in Surakarta city from the early 20th century until Indonesia‟s
reform era (1900-2014). This study employed historical data collection methods
(documentary study, literature review, observation, interview, and personal
experience) with an ethnographic approach, while the structural-hermeneutic
approach was employed to analyze the data.

The analysis results suggested that the forms of Surakarta‟s urban tourism for
Indonesia‟s historical periodization include (1) “Solo, The Pleasure-Seeking
City” in the early twentieth century, (2) “Solo, The City of Culture” in the
revolution era, (3) “Solo, The City of Shopping Tourism” in the New Order era,
and (4) “Solo, The City of MICE” in the reform era.

In conclusion, the city of Surakarta has a variety of characters as a tourist

destination in each period. Therefore, the future development of Surakarta‟s
urban tourism should not take these icons for granted as the typical characteristics
of the city‟s urban tourism, which are unique, interesting, and not found in other
tourist destination cities.

Keywords: tourism; transformation; history; tourism image; urban tourism;

Surakarta City
 I. Introduction

1.1. Backgrounds

Tourism is as one of the means of boosting a country‟s foreign exchange

earnings so as to reduce the disparity between developed and developing countries

(UNWTO, 2001). Furthermore, in some researches on tourism, an „approach‟ emerges

as a response to some regions or urban areas that do not have natural resources as tourist

attractions. The emergence of urban tourism is considered as a „strategy‟ for the tourism

development for urban areas by utilizing various urban elements as the tourist

attractions and supporting tourism activities (Selby, 2004). A lot of researches on urban

tourism have been conducted by scholars, such as Inskeep (1991), Page (1995), Law

(1996), (Dear & Flusty, 1998), and Judd & Fainstein (1999). Meanwhile, those who

study the definitions and typologies of urban tourism include Page (2003), Indra (2011),

Andrani (2011), Wardhani (2012), and Setyaningsih et al. (2014) from which they

address issues and concepts in the urban tourism management.

1.2. Problem Statements

Tourism is as one of the means of boosting a country‟s foreign exchange

earnings so as to reduce the disparity between developed and developing countries

(UNWTO, 2001).

From the urban tourism studies mentioned in the current study, a basic

assumption emerges, i.e. the efforts of urban tourism development in a city need the

image of the city‟s urban tourism in the past so as to serve as a close bond of continuity

between the past, the present, and the future (Indra, 2009:10); (Andriani, 2011:1);

(Wardhani, 2012:374); and (Setyaningsih et al, 2014:2).

In addition, there are several cases of failed urban tourism development in

several major cities of the world such as Sydney (Chen & Spaans, 2009), Prague
(Hoffman & Musil, 2009), Auckland (Xie & Gu, 2015), and Bandung (Wardhani, 2012)

due to a lack of knowledge of the identity or character of urban tourism in the past. The

importance of the study of urban tourism by using a transformational approach is that it

can provide a reasonably clear image of urban tourism in a city from time to time. Thus,

through the study of transformational urban tourism, there will be a clear „portrait‟ of

urban tourism transformation used as a reference to determine the direction of tourism

development in accordance with the character or identity of the city in the future. Based

on preliminary observations, Surakarta City is considered as one of the historic cities

that have potential as an urban tourism destination in Indonesia. The existence of the

city as a plesir (pleasure-seeking) city in the past is an interesting historical

phenomenon of urban tourism that is feasible to be studied further. Therefore, this study

formulated the research questions as follows:

1. What is the urban tourism form in Surakarta in the early twentieth century (1900

- 1945)?

2. What is the transformation taking place in the urban tourism form in Surakarta

during Indonesia‟s revolution era (1945 - 1965)?

3. What is the transformation taking place in the urban tourism form in Surakarta

during Indonesia‟s new order era (1965 - 1998)?

4. What is the transformation taking place in the urban tourism form in Surakarta

during Indonesia‟s reform era (1999 - 2014)?

 1.3. Theoretical Framework

1.3.1. Urban Tourism: Aspects and Components

The trend in tourism in the world today is the rapid growth of urban tourism .

Therefore, the importance of urban tourism development will be a promising prospect if

the type of tourism is implemented in Indonesia. Unfortunately, there are not many

tourism experts or scholars who specify the definition or conception of urban tourism

itself. According to Klingner (2006:1), the urban tourism can be simply defined as a

collection of tourism resources or activities located in a city offered to visitors from

other places.

Referring to the understanding of urban tourism above, Law (1994) more

broadly defines urban tourism as urban (non-agricultural) elements and everything

related to urban aspects and components that can be utilized as an urban tourist

attraction or magnet (Law, 1996:4).

Aspects and Components

According to Utama (2012), there are several aspects contained in the concept of

urban tourism, namely: 1) attractions; 2) accessibility; 3) amenities; and 4) ancillary

services (Main, 2012:6).

The first aspect, attractions, can be understood as objects such as landscape or

culture of the local community which serves as an urban tourism magnet. The

attractions include 1). Historical architectural buildings (palace, town hall, office

building, residential houses, etc.); 2). Museum; 3). Historic monuments; 4). Historical

street area; 5). City entertainment area; 6). Town square and park; 7). Culinary

specialties; 8). Traditional and modern markets; 9). Campus and university; 10).

Cultural districts; 11). Ethnic communities; 12). Places of pilgrimage; and 13). Trail of

historical events and literary works.

 Second, the transportation aspect, often called accessibility, is everything related

to transport facilities and infrastructure that can be accessed by tourists to reach tourism

destinations, both in international, regional and city scales.

The accessibility aspect includes transportation, post office, and

telecommunication facilities and infrastructure such as a) Land, sea, river, and air

transport facilities such as railway, tram, tourist train, inter-city bus, city bus, public

bus, public taxi, private vehicles, aircrafts, ships, and ferries; b) transport infrastructure

on land, sea, river, and air such as roads, train stations, railroads, bus terminals, airports,

and docks; c) Postal and telecommunication facilities.

Third, the amenity aspect includes basic, complementary, and supporting

facilities. The facilities are intended to make tourists feel comfortable and stay longer in

their urban tourism destinations. The amenity aspect can be defined as the facilities

needed by tourists during their stay in a tourist destination. This aspect consists of three

components, namely: a) main facilities; b) complementary facilities; and c) supporting

facilities. The main facilities include accommodation, travel agencies, tour guide

services, and dining and drinking facilities (restaurants, cafes, food stalls, etc.). The

complementary facilities include recreational parks and city entertainment centers

(cinemas, societeit, recreational parks, art and entertainment venues, nightspots, etc.)

and urban public facilities (schools, universities, hospitals, sports venues, town square,

banks, etc.). The last, supporting facilities include shopping centers such as malls,

traditional markets, retail stores, and souvenir shops (Yoeti, 1996:186).

Fourth, the organizational aspect (ancillary services) which includes human

resource attributes, systems, and tourism organizations that aim to organize, support and

oversee the operational activities of tourism in a city so a place becomes worth visiting.

The organizations, among others, include urban tourism management such as culture
and tourism department, tourism office, managers of tourist objects and attractions, and

managers of cinemas, family recreation parks, nightspots, karaoke, shopping centers,

culinary centers, cafes, and restaurants, etc. In addition, there are also organizations and

associations related to tourism professions such as Indonesian Guide Association (HPI),

Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Association of Indonesian Tour

and Travel Agency (ASITA), Association of Indonesian Recreational Parks (PUTRI),

Association of Water and Marine Tourism Entrepreneurs (Gahawistri), Association of

Indonesian Exhibition Entrepreneurs (Asperapi), Indonesian Congress and Convention

Association (INCCA) and others. Moreover, to support the tourists‟ security and

comfort during their visit needs security institutions such as state police, tourism police,

village police, community protection personnel, etc. (Utama, 2012: 9-10).

1.3.2. Transformation

The concept of transformation, from the spatial or territorial perspective, refers

to a process of change (distinction) in certain features. The process contains three

important elements: first, the distinction, i.e. a very important aspect in the process of

transformation since, due to distinction, the embodiment of a transformation process can

be seen; second, the identity or character, i.e. a reference in a process of transformation,

whether social, economic, or appearance characteristics; third, the transformation

process which is always historical and bound to different time units. Therefore, the

concept of transformation always involves a change or distinction from a simpler

society to a more modern society in different time units (Abdullah, 1994; Giyarsih,

2009). Furthermore, Giyarsih (2009) explains that regional transformation is a long

sequence of events which are related to each other. The long sequence of events

transforms the rural nature into the urban nature (Giyarsih, 2009).
 1.3.3. Urban Transformation

Every city certainly undergoes a transformation from a village to a city. The

process of the city formation cannot be separated from all the activities of the residents

in it (Jamaludin, 2015). Usually, a city starts from a village. A village is a settlement

whose inhabitants are bound in life and depend on the areas around it. The

transformation process of a city can also be said to be the beginning of a meeting

between villagers and people around the village in terms of the necessities of life, the

place of collecting goods, and the exchange of goods. Eventually, there are those who

live around the place so it becomes larger. Other people from the surrounding area also

come to the place and form a town or a city (Basundoro, 2012).

There are several views on the urban transformation process as suggested by the

following experts. Bergel in Basundoro (2012) describes that the process of urban

transformation takes places through the evolutionist paradigm, i.e. starting from the

village phase. A village is generally interpreted as a farmers‟ settlement with the main

characteristic of the absence of elements dominating each other between one village and

another. The next development is called the town. A town is defined as an urban

settlement that dominates the surrounding rural environment. The next phase is the

transformation into a city. Bergel defines a city as an urban settlement that dominates

the surrounding rural or urban regions. The next phase is the metropolis which is

defined as a city that has international or supranational significance with a population of

more than 1,000,000 people (Bergel; Basundoro, 2012: 20-21).

1.4. Methods

In general, this study was conducted in the city of Surakarta and surrounding

cities in Central Java Province, Indonesia. The data was collected through documentary

study, literature review, observation, interview, and personal experience.

 The data analysis method employed in this study was the structural-hermeneutic

approach (Ahimsa-Putra, 2012:253). The process done after collecting the data was

recording and coding the data so that the data sources were easy to trace. After being

coded, the data were collected, sorted, and classified according to the historical

periodization, i.e. the Dutch East Indies colonial era (1900-1942), the Indonesian

independence until the end of the Old Order era (1945-1966), the New Order era (1966-

1998), the 1998 reform period - present. The next step was the source criticism, i.e.

assessing the collected data in two ways, namely external and internal criticism. After

going through the process of source criticism, the next stage was the interpretation to

find the meanings, patterns of inter-elemental relationships, and urban tourism

transformation in the city of Surakarta.

II. Discussion
2.1.Urban Tourism in Surakarta City in the Early 20th Century (1900-1945)

The phenomenon of plesiran (tourism) in the city of Surakarta in the early 20th

century turns out to be part of the urban community‟s life in general. This image is

further emphasized by the existence of an article published in this period‟s newspaper

entitled Solo di Waktoe Boelan Poernama (Solo under the Full Moon) (1941). The

article clearly illustrates that the people of Surakarta City were very fond of hanging out

in the city‟s entertainment centers such as in Taman Tirtonadi (Tirtonadi Park) which

was visited by thousands of people who wanted to enjoy the atmosphere in the vast park

while being accompanied by hundreds of angkringan (push cart that sells a variety of

foods and beverages). In addition, the krontjong and klenengan music performances

were free for visitors in the Partinah Bosch and people could fish carp for 25 cents for

each person. Similarly, many people also visited Partini Tuin, Sriwedari Park, and other

amusement places such as cinema and Wayang Orang (classical Javanese dance
theatrical performance) and Ketoprak (Javanese theatre) in Schouwburg Sonoharsono

and the Oriental (Pewarta Oemoem, July 1, 1941).

The grandeur and elegance of urban tourism in Surakarta at that time, in fact,

also had the „‟dark side such as hedonistic lifestyle, i.e. splurging money to get drunk

(drinking Jenever liquor), pay prostitutes, and gamble. By living the lifestyle, many

young people had messy future.

The description above gives a clear understanding of the plesiran (pleasure-

seeking) form in Surakarta in the early twentieth century. Surakarta presented a variety

of spectacles and entertainments, such as wayang orang, ketoprak, and gambar sorot

(outdoor cinema) held in several performance buildings such as Sriwedari, Poerbajan,

and Sonoharsono. During the full moon night, many people walked around and sat in

Tirtonadi Park while enjoying a variety of foods and beverages at cheap prices in which

they chatted, joked and sang until dawn. Throughout the night, the city was noisy due to

the auto traffic, horse-drawn carriage, and people walking. Therefore, the city could be

said a never-sleeping city since the people often hung out all night long. Everything was

nice and pleasing. Thus, the image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism in the early 20th

century is “Solo, The Plesir (Pleasure-Seeking) City” that never sleeps.

2.2.Urban Tourism in Surakarta City in the Revolution Era (1945-1965)

The image of urban tourism in Surakarta City during Indonesia‟s revolution era

can be observed through the art performances which are still consistently held. In this

era, the city still held cultural art performances such as wayang orang, tonil (theater),

and melodrama. An art performance group called Pantjawarna (Fifi Young) often held

art performances at Purbayan and Srikaton Performance Halls. The Sriwedari Wayang

Orang Group also still performed wayang orang show every night. In addition to

remaining committed to traditional arts and cultural performances, these groups also
often held charity shows whose donations were donated to help the Indonesians‟

struggle to defend their independence. The charitable contributions were delivered to

Fonds Kemerdekaan (Independence Funds), an organization under the Indonesia

National Committee. The art groups were committed to continuing to preserve

traditional arts as well as taking part in the struggle of the Republic of Indonesia. The

Pantjawarna group donated all its revenues (as much as f.2983) on November 17, 1945,

and the Sriwedari group donated f.457,70 from 25-31 November 1945. Similarly, a

group called Persatoean Sandiwara Soerakarta (Surakarta Theatrical Groups

Association) also donated f. 1413.45 to the Fonds Kemerdekaan. Moreover, in this era,

the Wayang Orang Sriwedari Group was the “favorite child” of President Sukarno

because of the president‟s love of traditional arts so that the group was frequently asked

to perform in various events of Indonesia‟s independence anniversary held in the state

palace. Furthermore, this era was characterized by the presence of keroncong music

which got more popular around Tirtonadi Park and around Balekambang Park

(Partinahbosh and Partinituin). The development of keroncong music was a result of the

transformation of the function of Tirtonadi Park from a recreational park to an art and

cultural park. The park was frequently visited by artists and cultural elites to express

their creativity.

The description above clearly demonstrates the urban tourism in Surakarta City

during Indonesia‟s revolution era, which was mainly characterized by the existence of

art and cultural elements in every form of the urban tourist attraction. Therefore, it is

reasonable to argue that the image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism during the revolution

era is “Solo, The City of Culture”.

 2.3.Urban Tourism in Surakarta City in the New Order Era (1965-1998)

The urban tourism in Surakarta during Indonesia‟s New Order Era was marked

by the city‟s tourism development conducted by the Tourism Office of Surakarta

Municipality, which was assumed to be something forced so that, in this era, there was a

term nyenggek dollar (literally means picking dollars high up on a tree using a pole).

The term was created because all the tourism development efforts were conducted to

bring in foreign tourists as much as possible, without thinking about the domestic

tourists. This phenomenon implies a high sectorial ego of each stakeholder in the effort

of developing the urban tourism in Surakarta. As a consequence, there was a lack of

coordination between Surakarta Tourism Office as a tourism management institution

and other related offices, tourism businesses, universities, and the people of Surakarta

themselves (Suara Bengawan, 1988).

One of the efforts made by the government in bringing in foreign tourists was

opening international flights by developing Adisumarmo Airport as an international

airport. The tourism objects existing in Surakarta City in this era included Kasunanan

Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace, Puro Mangkunegaran Palace, Tirtonadi Park, Taru Jurug

Wildlife Park (TSTJ), Sriwedari Park with its snack food center, the newly-developed

Kemah Bhakti Pramuka (camping ground) area in the eastern part of Taman Makam

Pahlawan Kusuma Bhakti, Jurug with the addition of various facilities such as sports

facilities, bonfire, ceremonial field, toilets, Joglo house and performance stage, and

type-A camping ground that could accommodate 600 people.

Another effort to support the tourist attractions especially offered to foreign

tourists was the commodification of the traditional art performances. Nevertheless, the

effort was considered less optimal due to the performance duration was deemed too

short. Meanwhile, the government still provided the domestic tourists and the Surakarta
people with free spectacles by developing the Pendopo Joglo Sriwedari as an art

performance center performing various traditional arts from different art groups in each

sub-district in Surakarta City. However, over time, the art performances did not go as

expected so the activities were eventually stuck (Suara Bengawan, 1988). Prior to the

end of the New Order era, the condition of Surakarta‟s traditional arts was very pathetic

(Solopos, 1997). The development of technology such as the presence of television at

that time brought a significant impact on the decline of public interest in attending and

enjoying traditional art performances.

In addition to being a tourism city, Surakarta also has great potential in the

trading sector, which is mainly supported by the presence of traditional markets,

including Klewer Market, the city‟s biggest contributor (Kompas, December 2007).

The existence of Klewer Market in the 1945s shows an interesting socio-

economic phenomenon, i.e. the market was not only a place of economic activities but

became part of the people‟s lives. This phenomenon made President Soeharto interested

in building and formalizing Klewer Market in 1971 (Solopos, 1997). The golden age of

Klewer Market happened in the 1990s as marked by the velocity of money at the time

was estimated at Rp. 8 billion/day. At this time, this market was known as the largest

textile and batik selling center in Indonesia and the wholesale center for other local

traders in Wonogiri, Sukoharjo, Boyolali, Klaten, Karanganyar, Sragen, and even Bali.

Klewer Market in the New Order era, in addition to being well-known as the icon of the

largest clothing and textile trade center in Indonesia, was also known as a magnet for

shopping tourism in the city of Surakarta due to its typical characteristic as a traditional

market but its ability to turn money was beyond the modern markets (Solopos, October

1997). Thus, tourism and trade are two inseparable elements because the tourism sector

needs support from the trade sector, and vice versa.

 Based on the description above, it can be concluded that the tourism image of

Surakarta as a cultural city seems to be no longer relevant, considering the elements of

cultural arts that give life to every urban tourist attraction was faded and eroded by the

change of time and technological advancement. However, on the other hand, the image

of Surakarta‟s urban tourism during the New Order era undergoes a change as marked

by the presence of trading activities in Klewer Market. Therefore, the image of

Surakarta‟s urban tourism in the new order era tends to be “Solo, The City of Shopping

Tourism”.

2.4.Urban Tourism in Surakarta City in the Reform Era (1998-2014)

Entering the reform era, the city of Surakarta began to transform towards the

management of regional autonomy including in terms of tourism management that

changed in a more advanced phase. The direction of urban tourism development in

Surakarta City in the reform era seems to be focused on the concept of MICE, i.e. an

urban tourism concept that develops various activities such as meeting, incentive,

convention and exhibition both in the national, regional, and international scales by

holding the principles of preservation of the wealth of ancestral cultural heritage.

One of the concrete steps in realizing the MICE concept was to host the World

Heritage Cities Conference on 25 - 28 October 2008 (Kompas, August 2008), the Solo

International Ethnic Music (SIEM) 2008 from 28 October to 1 November 2008 by

taking place in Pamedan Pura Mangkunegaran (Kompas, 31 October 2008), and the

Solo International Performing Arts (SIPA) held for the first time in 2009 at Pamedan

Pura Mangkunegaran. The latter presented a variety of art performances from various

artists around the world.

As an implementation of conservation programs on cultural heritage, an event

called Solo Batik Carnival (SBC) was held to preserve batik as one of the Indonesian
cultural heritage. Furthermore, the businessmen in the field of tour and travel organized

an event titled Bengawan Travel Mart (BTM). The event turned out to be a meeting

place for buyers from outside the city and abroad and sellers as the providers of a

variety of exciting tour packages from the city of Surakarta and surrounding areas.

The significantly increased economic activities of the people and business sector

contributed to increasing the locally-generated revenue generated from the taxes of

hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, transportation services, entertainment, and billboard.

This is the domino effect of MICE development in Surakarta City. Therefore, it is

reasonable to claim that the image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism in the reform era is

“Solo, the City of MICE”.

III. Conclusions and Recomendations

3.1. Conclusions

The form of plesiran (pleasure-seeking) in Surakarta in the early 20th century

which became part of the city's life, in general, gives a full description of the image of

the city‟s urban tourism at that time. In this era, Surakarta presented a variety of

spectacles and entertainments such as wayang orang, ketoprak, and gambar sorot held

in several performance buildings such as Sriwedari, Poerbajan, and Sonoharsono. At the

full moon night, so many people took a walk and sat in Tirtonadi Park while enjoying a

variety of food and drinks at cheap prices in which they chatted, joked and sang all

night long. Throughout the night, the city was noisy due to the sounds from auto traffic,

horse-drawn carriage, and people walking. Therefore, the city could be said a never-

sleeping city since the people often hung out all night long. Everything was nice and

pleasing. Thus, the image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism in the early 20th century could

be “Solo, The Pleasure-Seeking City” that never sleeps.

 The image of urban tourism in the city of Surakarta during Indonesia‟s

revolution era can be observed through the art performances which are still consistently

held. The city still held cultural art performances such as wayang orang, tonil (theater),

and melodrama. The art groups that still presented such performances include

Pantjawarna (Fifi Young) Group and Sriwedari Wayang Orang Group. Furthermore, the

phenomenon of other performing arts was characterized by the presence of keroncong

music, which developed around Tirtondi Park, and around Balekambang Park (Partinah

Bosh and Partini Tuin) as a result of the transformation of the function of Tirtonadi Park

from a recreational park to an art and cultural park, which was often visited by artists

and cultural elites to express their creativity. The description above gives a clear

demonstration of the urban tourism in Surakarta City during Indonesia‟s revolution era,

which was mainly characterized by the existence of art and cultural elements in every

form of the urban tourist attraction. Therefore, it is reasonable to claim that the image of

Surakarta‟s urban tourism during the revolution era is “Solo, The City of Culture”.

The urban tourism in Surakarta during Indonesia‟s New Order Era was marked

by the city‟s tourism development conducted by the Tourism Office of Surakarta

Municipality, which was assumed to be something forced so that, in this era, there was a

term nyenggek dollar (literally means picking dollars high up on a tree using a pole).

The term arose because all the tourism development efforts were conducted to bring in

foreign tourists as much as possible, without thinking about the domestic tourists. This

phenomenon implies a high sectorial ego of each party in the effort of developing the

urban tourism in Surakarta. As a consequence, there was a lack of coordination among

related stakeholders. Furthermore, one of the efforts made by the government in

bringing in foreign tourists was opening international flights by constructing

Adisumarmo Airport as an international airport. The tourism objects existing in

Surakarta City during this era included Kasunanan Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace, Puro

Mangkunegaran Palace, Tirtonadi Park, Taru Jurug Wildlife Park (TSTJ), Sriwedari

Park with its snack food center, the newly-developed Kemah Bhakti Pramuka (camping

ground) area in the eastern part of Taman Makam Pahlawan Kusuma Bhakti, Jurug with

the addition of various facilities such as sports facilities, bonfire, ceremonial field,

toilets, Joglo house and performance stage, and type A camping ground that could

accommodate 600 people. Prior to the end of the New Order period, the condition of

Surakarta‟s traditional arts was very pathetic. Klewer Market in the New Order era, in

addition to being well-known as the icon of the largest clothing and textile trade center

in Indonesia, was also known as a magnet for shopping tourism in the city of Surakarta

so it can be concluded that the image of Surakarta as a cultural city seems no longer

relevant. However, on the other hand, the image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism during the

New Order era changes as marked by the trading activities in Klewer Market. This

traditional market serves as the artery of the economy of Surakarta, as well as the

„womb‟ that gives birth to the new image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism. Therefore, the

image of urban tourism in the city of Surakarta in the new order era becomes “Solo, The

City of Shopping Tourism”.

The direction of urban tourism development in Surakarta City in the reform era

seems to be focused on the concept of “Solo, The City of MICE”, i.e. an urban tourism

concept that develops various activities in meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition

both in the national, regional and international scales by holding the principles of

preservation of the wealth of ancestral cultural heritage. The success of the city of

Surakarta as the host of international events (WHCC, SIEM, SIPA, BTM) indicates that

the city is able to boost the economic conditions of its people and business sectors

significantly, thus increasing locally-generated revenue generated from the taxes of

hotels, restaurants, transportations, entertainment, and advertisements as a multiplier

effect of MICE development in the city. Therefore, it is reasonable to claim that the

image of Surakarta‟s urban tourism in the reform era is “Solo, the City of MICE”.

3.2. Recomendations

Based on the understanding of the transformation of urban tourism from the past

until now, the city of Surakarta needs to develop its urban tourist attractions with

respect to its historical aspect, for instance, the development of Sriwedari Park area

should be adjusted to its spirit as the Kebon Rojo (King‟s Garden). Furthermore, it is

strongly recommended to revitalize the Wayang Orang Sriwedari show that once

became the icon and magnet of Surakarta‟s tourism in terms of the physical side (i.e.

renovating the building) and the art side (i.e. modifying the storyline to be more

interesting and suitable for all circles, providing synopsis with various languages, and

developing a more modern stage but still accommodating the classical elements of

Javanese culture). In addition, more efforts are also needed to promote the show

schedule via the internet, social media, and through travel agencies that often make tour

packages in the city of Surakarta. The main objective of revitalizing the Wayang Orang

Sriwedari show is to make the visitors stay longer at least one night in Surakarta like in

the Ramayana Ballet Prambanan or the Alcazar Show in Pattaya, Bangkok in which the

performing stages are served as one of the strategies for making the tourists stay longer.

This strategy will certainly affect various components of urban tourism, i.e. increasing

the hotel room occupancy, provision of food and beverages, transportation services, and

souvenirs.

Lastly, the Surakarta‟s urban tourism development should be more integrated

with every aspect and component of urban tourism formation so as not to seem spatial

or cause the sectorial ego. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a forum that can bring
together all stakeholders, including relevant government offices, tourism businesses,

tourism experts, tourism academics, tourism research institutions, and tourism

community groups. The purpose is to create sustainability in the efforts to develop

urban tourism in the city of Surakarta.

 REFERENCES
Archives and Documents
Besluit dated 16 August 1901 No. 1
Besluit dated 1 October 1942 on behalf of: Karl Lodewijk Nouman Jacobus Geroundus
(R.V.O. no. 569 and 570).
Besluit, dated 3 December 1894 No.20
Bundel Solo 401. 1879. Politiek Verslag der Residentie Soerakarta. Jakarta. ANRI.
Handboek voor Cultuur-en Handelsondernemingen in Nederlandsche-Indie. 1889
Letter of the Director Burgerlijke Openbare Werken (BOW) to the State‟s Secretary
dated 21 June 1897
Letter of the Director Burgerlijke Openbare Werken (BOW) to the Governor General
dated 29 May 1897 no.392
Mangkunegaran Archive. 1931. Opgave Van Openbare Onderwijsriehtingen in Het
Gewest Soerakarta. Surakarta. Reksa Pustaka Mangkunegaran.
Missive Gouvernement Secretarie (MGS) No. 1570, Buitenzorg 17 Juli 1899.
Pengetan Lelampahan KGPAA IV,V,VI Dumugi ingkang Kaping VII. 1984 Semarang:
Department of Education and Culture of Central Java Province.

Books and Articles

Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 1994. Antropologi di Indonesia oleh: Ahli Antropologi Indonesia:
Perspektif Epistimologi. Human Behavior Workshop Discussed from the
Perspective of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and History Studies in
Indonesia.
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2000. Ketika Orang Jawa Nyeni. Galang Press. Yogyakarta.
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2001. Etnobotani dan Pemberdayaan Obat Tradisional. A paper
presented in the Training “Basic Development of Traditional Medicine from
Perspective of Ethnobotany and Local Culture”. Center for Traditional Medicine
Studies, UGM.
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2002. Antropologi. Sosial Budaya di Indonesia Tinjauan
Perkembangan Dengan Perspektif Epistimologis. A paper presented in the
discussion “Social Science for What?” Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Jakarta
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2005. Budaya Lokal dan Islam di Indonesia. A paper presented in
the Round Table Discussion “Ekspresi Islam dalam Simbol-simbol Budaya di
Indonesia”, Pimpinan Pusat „Aisyiyah. Yogyakarta.
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2007. “Paradigma, Epistemologi dan Metode Ilmu (Paper)
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2008. Paradigma dan Revolusi Ilmu Dalam Antropologi Budaya
Sketsa Beberapa Episode. Inaugural Speech of Professorship of FIB UGM.
Yogyakarta.
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2011. Paradigma, Epistimologi dan Etnografi Dalam Antropologi.
A paper presented in the Public Lecture “Perkembangan Teori dan Metode
Antropologi” Department of Anthropology, Airlangga University, Surabaya.
Ahimsa-Putra, H.S. 2012. Strukturalisme Lévi-Strauss Mitos dan Karya Sastra. Kepel
Press. Yogyakarta.
Andriani, Y. 2011. Pariwisata Perkotaan: Teori dan Konsep.
Ashworth G.J. dan Tunbridge, J.E. (1990): The Tourist-Historic City, John Wiley &
Sons, England.
Baal, J. van, 1987. Sejarah dan Pertumbuhan Teori Antropologi Budaya (Hingga
Dekade 1970) Jilid 1 & 2. PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama. Jakarta
Bachry, J. 1997. Transformasi Struktural Agro-Tourisme: Dampaknya Terhadap
Perubahan Keragaan Sumberdaya Keluarga di Kawasan Pariwisata Gili Indah-
Lombok. IPB. Bogor.
Bagus, RU. 2009. Pengembangan Wisata Kota Sebagai Pariwisata Masa Depan
Indonesia. Faculty of Economics and Humanities, Dhyana Pura University,
Badung-Bali.
Baskoro, BRA & Rukendi, C., 2008. Membangun Kota Pariwisata Berbasis Komunitas;
Sebuah Kajian Teoritis. Jurnal Kepariwisataan Indonesia. Ministry of Culture
and Tourism of Indonesia, vol. 3 No 1. Jakarta.
Butterworth-Heinemann. Dictionary of Oxford Edition,Woburn. Oxford
Chen, Y & Spaans, M. 2009. Mega-Event Strategy as a Tool of Urban Transformation:
Sydney’s Experience. IfoU. Delft.
Copic, S. Transformation of Industrial Heritage-an Example of Tourism Industry
Development in the Ruhr Area (Germany). Geographica Pannonica. Serbia.
Fananie, Z., 2000. Restrukturisasi Budaya Jawa Perspektif KGPAA MN I.
Muhammadiyah University Press. Surakarta.
Geertz, C.1992. Tafsir Kebudayaan. PT Kanisius.Yogyakarta.
Gunawan, I. 2013. Metode Penelitian Kualitatif Teori dan Praktik. Bumi Aksara. First
Edition. Jakarta.
Hardjowirogo, M. 1980. Adat Istiadat Jawa. Patma Publisher. Bandung.
Hoffman, L.M. dan Musil, J. 2009. Prague, Tourism and the Post-industrial City. Great
Cities Institute Working Paper. Illinois-Chicago.
Ihromi, 2013. Pokok-pokok Antropologi Budaya. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.
Jakarta.
Kamadjaja, 1950. Solo di Waktu Malam. Gapura. Jakarta
Kamajaya. 1993. Babad KGPAA Mangkunegara I (Pangeran Sambernyawa). Yayasan
Mangadeg Surakarta & Yayasan Centhini Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta.
Kartodirdjo, S., 2014. Pemikiran dan Perkembangan Historiografi Indonesia. Ombak
Publisher. Yogyakarta.
Kayam, U. 1989. Transformasi Budaya Kita. Inaugural Speech of Professorship of
Faculty of Letters, UGM. Universitas Gadjah Mada. Yogyakarta.
Koentjaraningrat, 1997. Metode-Metode Penelitian Masyarakat Edisi Ketiga. PT
Gramedia Pustaka Utama. Jakarta.
Koentjaraningrat. 2009. Pengantar Ilmu Antropologi. Rineka Cipta Publisher. Jakarta.
Kuhn, T., 2012. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Peran Paradigma Dalam
Revolusi Sains. PT Remaja Rosdakarya. Bandung
Kuntowijoyo, 2006. Raja Priyayi dan Kawula. Ombak Publisher. Yogyakarta.
Kuntowijoyo. 2000. The Making of A Modern Urban Ecology: Social and Economic
History of Solo 1900-1915. Yogyakarta. Jurusan Sejarah Fak. Sastra UGM.
Larson.1990. Masa Menjelang Revolusi Krataon dan Kehidupan Politik di Surakarta
1912-1942. Yogyakarta. Gadjah Mada University Press.
Law, C.M., 1996. Tourism in International Major Cities. Thomson Business Press.
London.
Lévi-Strauss, C., 2013. Antropologi Struktural. Kreasi Wacana. Yogyakarta.
Marpaung, H. 2002. Pengetahuan Kepariwisataan. Alfabeta. Bandung.
Marsono & Hendrosaputro, W., 1999. Ensiklopedi Kebudayaan Jawa. Lembaga Studi
Jawa. Yogyakarta.
Miksic. J.N., 2012. The Court of Surakarta. Jakarta. BAB Publishing. Jakarta.
Mulayana, D., 2013. Metodologi Penelitian Kualitatif Paradigma Baru Ilmu
Komunikasi dan Ilmu Sosial Lainnya. Remaja Rosdakarya. 8th Edition.
Bandung
Mulder, N., 1977. Kepribadian Jawa dan Pembangunan Nasional. Gadjah Mada
University Press.Yogyakarta.
Nieuwenhuys, R., 1979. Bianglala Sastra: Bunga Rampai Sastra Belanda Tentang
Kehidupan di Indonesia. Jakarta. Djambatan.
Padmo, S., 2007. Sejarah Kota dan Ekonomi Perkebunan. A paper presented in the
Historical Discussion by Hall of Conservation of History and Traditional Values
of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Yogyakarta.
Page, S., 1995. Urban Tourism, Routledge, London.
Page, S.J. dan Hall, M.C., 2003. Managing Urban Tourism. Pearson Education Limited,
Harlow.
Pemkot Surakarta, 1997. Kenangan Emas 50 Tahun Surakarta. Municipal Government
of Surakarta. Surakarta
Radya Pustaka 1820. 1960. Nawawindu Radya Pustaka. Surakarta. Ehe.
Ramelan, K. 2001 Sinuhun Paku Buwono X Pejuang Dari Surakarta Hadiningrat.
Jeihan Institute. Bandung.
Roorda, T. 2002. Serat Angger-Angger Jawi (Javaansche Wetten). Kepel Press
.Yogyakarta.
Rush, T dan James R. 2012. Candu Tempo Doeloe Pemerintah, Pengedar dan Pecandu
1860-1910. Komunitas Bambu. Jakarta.
Rustopo, 2009. Kiprah Orang-Orang Tionghua di Solo Dalam Kesenian Jawa. A paper
prsented in the Seminar “Historiografi Indonesia Modern”. Faculty of Cultural
Sciences, UGM. Yogyakarta.
Rustopo. 2007. Menjadi Jawa: Orang-orang Tionghoa dan Kebudayaan Jawa di
Surakarta, 1895-1998. Ombak Publisher, Yogyakarta
Ryan, C. dan Aicken, M. 2005. Indigenous Tourism: The Comodification and
Management of Culture. Elsevier. Amsterdam.
Sajid, R.M., 1984. Babad Sala. Surakarta. Reksa Pustaka Mangkunegaran
Sarsono dan Suyatno. 1985. Suatu Pengamatan Tradisi Lisan Dalam Kebudayaan Jawa
Studi Kasus Masyarakat Laweyan Surakarta. Ministry of Education and Culture
Directorate General of Culture, Research Project and Cultural Studies
Archipelago (Javanologi). Yogyakarta.
Sasongko, I. 2003. Pengembangan Konsep Strukturalisme, Dari Struktur Bahasa ke
Struktur Ruang Permukiman (Kasus: Pemukiman Sasak di Desa Payung).
Bahasa dan Seni. Malang.
Selby, M., 2004. Understanding Urban Tourism: Image, Culture, and Experience. I.B.
Tauris & Co. Ltd. New York
Setiawan, Y., 2011. Agamaning Wong Balong Suatu Analisis Sosiologi Agama
Berdasarkan Pendekatan Teori Durkheim Terhadap Agama Masyarakat yang
Dimunculkan oleh Integrasi Jawa-Cina di Kampung Balong, Surakarta.
Percetakan Kanisius. Salatiga.
Shiraishi, T., 1997. Zaman Bergerak Radikalisme Rakyat di Jawa 1912-1926. Jakarta.
Grafiti.
Smith, J. & Melanie, K., 2003. Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies. Routledge. London.
Soedarmono dan Mulyadi, 1999. Runtuhnya Kekuasaan “Kraton Alit” (Studi
Radikalisasi “Wong Sala” dan Kerusuhan Mei 1998 di Surakarta). Rural
Technology Development Institute (LPTP) Surakarta. Surakarta.
Soedarmono, 2006. Solo Kota Budaya. Unpublished Research Report. Surakarta.
Soedarmono, 2006. Solo Kota Dagang. Unpublished Research Report. Surakarta.
Soedarmono, 2006. Solo Kota Kolonial. Unpublished Research Report. Surakarta.
Soedarmono. 2009. Sejarah dan Morfologi Kota Konflik Solo: Dari Periode Kolonial-
Orde Baru. Solo Heritage Society‟s Research Report.
Soeratman, D., 1989. Kehidupan Dunia Keraton Surakarta1830-1939. Yogyakarta.
Taman Siswa.
Sorgdrager. 1936. Gesprekken met den Pangeran. Poerwokerto: N.V. Drukkerij J.D. De
Boer.
Spradley, J.P., 2006. Metode Etnografi. Tiara Wacana. Yogyakarta.
Stockdale, J.J., 2010. Eksotisme Jawa: Ragam Kehidupan dan Kebudayaan Masyarakat
Jawa 1768-1806. Yogyakarta. Progresif Book.
Suharto, P., 2001. Journey to Java by a Siamese King. Jakarta. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Thailand
Suhartono, 1991. Apanage dan Bêkêl, Perubahan Sosial di Pedesaan Surakarta. PT
Tiara Wacana Yogya. Yogyakarta.
Sukatno, O., 2002. Seks Para Pangeran Tradisi dan Ritualisasi Hedonisme Jawa.
Bentang Budaya. Yogyakarta.
Sunjayadi. A. 2007. Vereeniging Toeristen Verkeer Batavia (1908-1942). FIB UI
Jakarta.
Susanto, 2003, “Surakarta: Tipologi Kota Dagang”, Diakronik, Vol.2 No.6, January,
2003.
Susanto, 2015. Gaya Hidup, Identitas, dan Eksistensi Masyarakat dan Kebudayaan
Surakarta, 1871-1940. Dissertation. Graduate Program, FIB, UGM, Yogyakarta.
Susanto. 2010. Kota-kota di Jawa Identitas, Gaya Hidup dan Permasalahan Sosial.
Yogyakarta. Ombak.
Swarbrooke, J., 2002. The development and management of visitor attraction, 2nd
Taum, Y., 2011. Teori-Teori Analisis Sastra Lisan: Strukturalisme Lévi-Strauss.
Lamalera Publisher. Yogyakarta.
Tiknopranoto dan Mardisuwignya. Sejarah Kutha Sala Kraton Sala, Bengawan Sala,
Gunung Lawu. Surakarta.
Wardhani, A.P., 2012. Evolusi Aktual Aktivitas Urban Tourism di Kota Bandung dan
Dampaknya Terhadap Pembentukan Tempat-tempat Rekreasi. Jurnal
Pembangunan Wilayah & Kota. Biro Penerbit Planologi Undip, Vol.8. Bandung
Warto, 1985. Minoritas Keturunan Arab di Surakarta: Sebuah Studi Sejarah Sosial
Perkotaan. Surakarta. Undergraduate Thesis, Department of History, Faculty of
Letters, UNS.
Weber, M., 2013. Teori Dasar Analisis Kebudayaan. IRCiSoD Publisher. Yogyakarta.
Xie, P & Gu, K. 2015. The Changing Urban Morphology: Waterfront Redevelopment
and Event Tourism in New Zaeland. Tourism Management Perspectives 15.
Auckland.
Zaida, S.N.A, dan Arifin, N., 2010. Surakarta: Urban Development as Effect of Social
Changes in Ex-Capital City of Kingdom in Java. Jurnal Lanskap Indonesia Vol.2
No.2.

Newspapers and Magazines

Bromartani newspaper
Merah Poetih newspaper
Pepenget newspaper
Pewarta Oemoem newspaper
Pewarta Oemoem newspaper
Rakjat Bergerak newspaper
Soeara Moeda newspaper
Taman Pewarta newspaper
Tjahja Vorstenlanden newspaper
Waspada newspaper
ADIL weekly magazine