Tourism in Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta, is set to get a major boost thanks to two new vessels—Paus 2 and Paus 3—launched to improve access between the islands and mainland Jakarta. This effort is seen as a key step to unlock the region’s tourism potential and reduce the transportation burden on local residents.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung highlighted that high transport costs have long been a challenge for islanders wanting to reach the mainland. “The main problem for all residents of Kepulauan Seribu or the Thousand Islands is that transportation costs to the mainland remain relatively expensive. So today we launched Paus 2 and Paus 3 specifically to serve the Thousand Islands,” Pramono explained during the launch event on Pulau Onrust, Friday (4/7/2025).
He emphasized that this move by the Jakarta Provincial Government is part of efforts to remove inequality in transport access. While residents already get free rides on TransJakarta and TransJabodetabek buses, the sea journey remains costly.
“In fact, Thousand Islands residents already enjoy free rides on TransJakarta or TransJabodetabek buses. But the cost from their homes to the mainland is still high. That’s what we’re trying to fix,” he said.
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The newly launched vessels each have a capacity of 80 passengers, with a ticket price of Rp 49,000. They will operate four daily trips along the route Muara Angke–Cipir–Onrust–Kelor–Bidadari.
Pramono is optimistic that these improvements in transport access, supported by better facilities, will help attract more visitors. At the same time, he called for modernization on Pulau Onrust, noting that many aspects still rely on outdated methods.
He stressed the need to modernize museum displays, moving away from manual explanations, and to address limited electricity supply that still doesn’t run 24 hours on some islands. “If there’s no budget yet, then it must be allocated. So that people will be interested in coming. Explaining everything manually is no longer suitable these days,” Pramono urged.
Beyond Pulau Onrust, he asked the Culture and Tourism Department to design a more appealing historical visualization to draw both domestic and international tourists. Pramono also acknowledged the ongoing problem of limited electricity in places like Tidung Besar and Tidung Kecil. “That’s one of our problems; it’s the same everywhere. Including on Pulau Tidung, both Tidung Besar and Tidung Kecil, electricity is still an issue. This is the responsibility of the Jakarta Provincial Government to fix,” he added.
With better transport, new infrastructure, and modernized attractions, the Thousand Islands are poised to become an even more attractive destination for tourists and a more connected home for local residents.
