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BANDUNG – The Mayor of Bandung, Muhammad Farhan, officially inaugurated the 2025 Bandung Culinary Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Bandung City Industry Center Festival at Cihampelas Walk on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

The festival, which will run until May 4, 2025, is part of the city's initiative to stimulate economic growth through the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector and the creative industry.

Mayor Muhammad Farhan stated that the Bandung City Government, together with the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and business communities under APINDO, remains committed to supporting business development.

“Alhamdulillah, today we successfully held the Industry Center Festival and Culinary Festival again, showcasing several signature dishes from Bandung that have been recognized as 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage, namely batagor, mie kocok, and Tahu Cibuntu. This shows that our culinary wealth is gaining global recognition,” said Farhan, as quoted by Bandung's Communications and Information Agency (Diskominfo).

In addition to culinary showcases, the festival features small business players from various craft sectors such as printed dolls, eco-printing, footwear, clothing, and textiles. Notably, four art houses and galleries are also participating to promote Bandung's creative arts scene.

The Bandung City Government also plans to increase the number of events and festivals, ranging from martial arts festivals and religious festivals to beauty care festivals, aimed at bolstering tourism and the creative economy.

“We will offer tax discounts for incidental events, introduce a new branding for Bandung as the Capital of Asia-Africa in 2025, and increase festivals to keep the economy turning,” said Farhan.

He expressed optimism that collaboration between the government, DPRD, the business community, and the public would have a significant impact on the city’s economic growth.

“We want all business actors to gain exposure, increase revenue, and create as many job opportunities as possible,” he added.

Meanwhile, Acting Head of the Bandung Trade and Industry Agency (Disdagin), Ronny Ahmad Nurudin, noted that while Bandung’s economic growth in 2024 stood at 4.99%, the small and medium industry sector (IKM) is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic.

“The government continues to strengthen the industry through mentoring, training, and marketing support, both online and offline,” said Ronny.

According to him, the Industry Center Festival serves as both a branding and selling platform for Bandung’s entrepreneurs. Data shows that annual revenue for IKM players has increased thanks to this festival.

This year, 20 IKM units from eight industrial centers across Bandung are participating in the Industry Center Festival, while another 19 are taking part in the Culinary Festival.

“Alhamdulillah, in January 2025, the City of Bandung also received recognition, as three local culinary products—mie kocok, batagor, and Tahu Cibuntu—were designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of West Java,” added Ronny.

At the end of the event, Mayor Farhan, along with Deputy Mayor Erwin, DPRD Chairman Asep Mulyadi, Acting Regional Secretary Iskandar Zulkarnaen, invited guests, and the public toured the festival booths and enjoyed various local culinary delights.

Chairman of APINDO Bandung, Ahmad Kosim Asmari, who was also present to represent the business community, expressed his appreciation for the event.

According to him, the event significantly supports the promotion of local products and greatly influences investor interest.

“We highly appreciate the Bandung City Government’s efforts to show its concern for the business sector. We at APINDO also thank the Head of Disdagin for involving us in building the city together,” he said.

Ahmad Kosim also hopes the culinary and industry festival can help foster a positive climate for businesses in Bandung.

“APINDO urges the Mayor to continue protecting and supporting all companies so they can thrive and contribute significantly to the development of Bandung,” he added.

Furthermore, Ahmad Kosim requested that similar events be held not only in one location but also across all shopping malls and industrial zones deemed suitable for such activities.

“I proposed to the Mayor and DPRD Chair that government events be rotated through various malls or company venues across the city so that similar initiatives can be carried out throughout Bandung,” he concluded.

Source: www.fokussatu.id