CTS awards for hotels launched

CTS awards for hotels launched

YOGYAKARTA: In cooperation with other stakeholders in the community, Gadjah Mada University's Center for Tourism Studies (CTS) launched here recently the "Friend of the Community" (FoC) label for hotels and other hospitality outlets.

The launch was marked by the presentation of FoC certificates to the chairman of the Yogyakarta branch of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI), Stefanus Indarto, and the chairman of the Jogja and Central Java Hotel Association (JCJHA), Xavier Cappelut.

The presentations took place during the 2nd National Gathering on Poverty Eradication Through Tourism held at Grand Mercure Hotel.

"What we are doing actually is just showing our appreciation for what the hotels have been doing for a long time now, and converting it into something meaningful economically," CTS Director Hendrie Adji Kusworo told journalists after presenting the FoC certificates to both associations.

The obtaining of an FoC certificate shows that a hotel is "socially friendly to the community", which in turn will allow the hotel to develop a new brand image that can be further developed into one of the hotel's competitive advantages.

"There has been a shift in demand among global tourists, who are not just looking for physical but also social satisfaction in a tourist destination," Adji said.

Such demand, according to Adji, had inspired the tourism business community to revitalize their products by, among other things, developing brand image. A developing of a "green hotel" brand image was an example of such an effort bearing fruit. --JP