RI works hard to polish image through upcoming ATF<\/p>\n
Grace Emilia
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nContributor
\nYogyakarta<\/p>\n
Spirits are running high among people in the tourism industry
\nhere currently as the city is very busy welcoming delegates to an
\nupcoming conference on tourism in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Passengers arrive at the Adisucipto Airport and alight in
\nfront of green billboards welcoming participants to the Jan. 21 -
\nJan. 28 Royal ASEAN Tourism Forum 2002.<\/p>\n
Similar greetings have also been put up at major
\nintersections. Hotel vehicles in the ancient city have signs
\ncarrying the same message.<\/p>\n
As always, hoteliers hope to enjoy the peak season, while
\noffering their best service.<\/p>\n
\"We have been doing some renovation work since early January,
\nbuying new carpet, new marble and doing some repainting in the
\nlobby,\" said Darmawan Pandoyo, Hotel Santika's marketing manager.<\/p>\n
Sheraton Mustika hotel is also busy beautifying itself.<\/p>\n
\"We started refurbishing our 241 rooms last October,\" Edwin
\nSaragih, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, said.<\/p>\n
Most of the star-rated hotels have been fully-booked during
\npast ASEAN tourist events throughout the region, and this year
\nlooks to be no exception for Yogyakarta. For instance, all of
\nSantika's 148 rooms have been booked from Jan. 24 to Jan. 30. The
\nSheraton is also sold out.<\/p>\n
The hot issue surrounding the ATF meeting is the main venue
\nwhich is still under construction despite the fact that the event
\nis set to begin in a few days time.<\/p>\n
\"The construction workers toil night and day,\" said taxi
\ndriver Dharmo, referring to the project, which will be called
\nYogyakarta Exhibition and Convention Center, or YECC.<\/p>\n
The issue of the 17,000 square meter building has been a
\nsource of anxiety among people in the tourism industry and it has
\nbeen discussed in ASEAN's tourism publications for months.<\/p>\n
Initially, the ATF was planned to be held in a huge dome-tent
\nwhich could be rented for Rp 9.5 billion (US$930,000).<\/p>\n
But the plans changed after Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan
\nHamengkubuwono X saw the advantage of having a permanent
\nconvention center in developing the MICE (Meeting, Incentive,
\nConvention and Exhibition) industry for the long term.<\/p>\n
So the construction of this Rp 23.5 billion building was
\nfinally started last July with the initial target being to
\naccommodate the ATF participants.<\/p>\n
Locals are also pessimistic of whether the project can be
\ncompleted on time.<\/p>\n
\"Every time I go to Yogyakarta, I always visit this building
\nto see whether it will be finished on time or not for the ATF. If
\nnot, it will be very embarrassing for Indonesia,\" Meity Robot,
\nchairperson of the Indonesian Association of Tours and Travel
\nAgencies (Asita), said.<\/p>\n
ATF is a regional cooperative endeavor to promote the 10 ASEAN
\nmember countries as a top tourist destination. The hosting of ATF
\nis rotated among them.<\/p>\n
This year's ATF will be the 21st since it started in Malaysia
\nin 1981.<\/p>\n
Last year, it was held in Jerudong Park at Bandar Seri Begawan
\nof Brunei Darussalam. At that time, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
\nofficially launched the Visit ASEAN Campaign (VAC), as the new
\nbeginning to build a stronger bond in the ASEAN region as a
\nsingle tourism destination.<\/p>\n
ATF 2003 will be held in Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has hosted ATF three times. The first was in Jakarta
\nin 1986, then Bandung in 1991 and Surabaya in 1996.<\/p>\n
Themed \"Nature Links and Cultural Corridors\", this year's
\nconference will be attended by some 1,200 people, including 355
\ntravel agents from other parts of the world willing to buy tour
\npackages offered during the event by 322 agents.<\/p>\n
\"A seller has to pay between $1,520 and to $1,820 for a nine-
\nsquare-meter booth plus another $475 up to $580 as delegates. It
\nmeans that only serious parties will go and buy for that price,\"
\nsaid one organizer.<\/p>\n
Angela Wood of Thompsons Tours from Dunkled West in South
\nAfrica planned to visit the ATF in Yogyakarta to seek
\nopportunities to sell packages to popular spots like Bali,
\nThailand, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Wood stated that Bali -- despite the unfavorable image of
\nIndonesia -- remains a popular destination among South Africans.<\/p>\n
\"We have been trying to push for Java as well, but it is not
\nvery popular here. The riots and problems in Jakarta
\nunfortunately are a bit of a problem, but we continue to push for
\nBali,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The Rp 42.5 billion that the government will spend on ATF --
\nto improve its tarnished image and lure more tourists -- makes
\nsense.<\/p>\n
This year, Indonesia expects to record between 5.4 million and
\n5.8 million international tourists with an average spending of
\n$100 per day. Last year, the country failed to reach its target
\nof 5.4 million for which State Minister of Culture and Tourism I
\nGede Ardika blamed it on the Sept. 11 attacks and the Indonesian
\nresponse.<\/p>\n
Tourism ministers from ASEAN member countries, analysts,
\nobservers and journalists from other countries are expected to
\ncolor the 2002 ATF meeting and make their own decisions about the
\nimage of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I have visited more than 100 countries, but never to
\nIndonesia. So I look forward to this upcoming ATF.\" says Michael
\nSnow, a reporter from The Washington Post, who will cover the
\nevent.<\/p>",
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