Bengkulu proposes sister city partnership with London to develop British heritage tourism
Indonesia's Regional Representative Council Speaker Sultan B. Najamudin has proposed establishing a sister city relationship between Bengkulu and London, leveraging the province's British colonial history to boost tourism and economic development.
Bengkulu proposes sister city partnership with London to develop British heritage tourism
Indonesia's Regional Representative Council Speaker Sultan B. Najamudin has proposed establishing Bengkulu and London as sister cities, aiming to capitalize on the Indonesian province's British colonial heritage to stimulate tourism, strengthen cultural ties and drive regional economic growth.
Najamudin, who has served as DPD Speaker since October 2024 and previously held the position of Deputy Governor of Bengkulu from 2013 to 2015, announced the initiative following a meeting with Bengkulu Mayor Dedy Wahyudi and city government officials at the Merah Putih Building on Tuesday.
Historical connections to Britain
The proposal builds on Bengkulu's historical connection to Britain, which dates back to 1685 when the British East India Company established the trading post then known as Bencoolen. The settlement remained under British control for nearly 140 years until 1824, when it was transferred to the Dutch under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of London.
Najamudin emphasized that Bengkulu's surviving British heritage sites offer substantial potential for developing history-based tourism centered on the colonial period. Among these landmarks is Fort Marlborough, constructed between 1714 and 1719, which stands as one of the largest British forts ever built in Southeast Asia, covering 44,000 square meters. The Indonesian government designated the fort as a protected cultural heritage site in 1977, transferring it to the Ministry of Education and Culture for restoration and preservation.
Diplomatic outreach and partnership framework
The DPD Speaker revealed he has already contacted the British ambassador to Indonesia to facilitate a meeting with Mayor Wahyudi. This diplomatic outreach would formally introduce Bengkulu's British heritage assets and explore potential cooperation frameworks between the two cities.
Sister city relationships require official agreements signed by the highest elected or appointed officials from both communities, establishing formal partnerships designed to build economic, cultural, educational and technical relationships. Such programs typically yield benefits including tourism promotion, trade opportunities and cultural exchange initiatives.
Tourism development plans
Najamudin proposed developing a tourism calendar focused on British colonial history to attract international visitors, particularly from Britain and descendants of British settlers. The initiative aligns with Bengkulu's growing tourism sector, which recorded 4.57 million domestic tourist visits in 2024. The province has also demonstrated success in cultural tourism through events like the Tabut Festival, which attracted over 206,000 visitors in 2025, a significant increase from 132,898 attendees the previous year.
The proposal follows Indonesia's recent pattern of establishing international sister city partnerships, with Jakarta and Shenzhen exploring cooperation in April 2026 and Serang pursuing ties with Weifang, China, in March 2026.
Bengkulu, Sumatra's smallest and least populated province with approximately one million residents comprising mainly Rejang, Malay, Bugis and Chinese ethnic groups, seeks to leverage this potential partnership to raise its international profile and diversify its economic base beyond traditional sectors.