PEKANBARU: An 11-year-old boy’s viral dance performance has dramatically increased international tourist attendance at Indonesia’s traditional Pacu Jalur boat race.
Rayyan Arkan Dikha’s 20-second dance clip on social media attracted millions of views and celebrity imitations from sports stars including Formula One’s Alex Albon and MotoGP’s Marc Marquez.
Australian tourist Duncan McNaught told AFP “I came to watch Pacu Jalur because I wanted to film and show the festival to the world.”
The viral phenomenon has drawn visitors from across Indonesia and internationally to the Kuantan river in Sumatra’s Riau Province.
Indonesian national Yuyun Kurnia travelled 17 hours from Medan to watch the race after discovering it online.
Last year’s race attracted 1.4 million visitors and generated more than $2.5 million for the local economy.
Riau tourism agency head Roni Rakhmat expects 1.5 million spectators this year with significantly more foreign visitors.
Officials project revenue could reach $4.6 million due to increased per-person spending.
Pacu Jalur dates back to the 17th century when residents used traditional wooden “jalur” boats for transportation.
Local resident Naysila Ayunita Sari said “I think it’s super cool that a kid his age managed to create a personal branding through Pacu Jalur.”
The event transformed the Kuantan riverbank with tents and umbrellas as some spectators plunged into the river for closer views.
The boat dancer’s role involves standing precariously on the front tip to encourage oarsmen during races.
More than 220 teams representing local villages and districts are competing for combined prizes of around 900 million rupiah ($55,000).
Authorities are using the increased exposure to improve event organisation and river cleanliness.
Police and military moved to stop illegal gold mining near the race stretch to reduce pollution.
Local resident Frima expressed amazement at the international attention, saying “I never would have thought that all eyes are on this small place.” – AFP