IKA NHI Ready to Support Ministry of Tourism Programmes and Policies
The National Hotel Institute Alumni Association (IKA NHI) Bandung is prepared to support and safeguard various programmes and policies from the Ministry of Tourism. This statement was conveyed by the IKA NHI leadership during an audience with Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardana in Jakarta on Friday, 27 February.
At the meeting, Minister Widiyanti was accompanied by the Minister’s Secretary Bayu Aji, Deputy for Resources and Institutional Affairs Martini Mohamad Paham, Deputy for Industry and Investment Rizki Handayani Mustafa, Special Staff Bambang Andika and Special Staff Apni Jaya Putra. Meanwhile, Tantowi Yahya, as IKA NHI’s general chairman, was accompanied by Chairman 3 Wisnu Aji Nugroho, Chairman 4 Zulkifli Harahap, Chairman 7 Ratih Astrokoesoemo and Treasurer General Tetty Martha Hutabarat, along with several other board members.
The discussion lasted intensely for more than an hour, exceeding the allocated time, demonstrating the Minister’s serious attention to the issues raised.
“As a child of the Ministry of Tourism, IKA NHI is ready to partner with the Ministry. More than that, according to Tantowi, IKA NHI is ready to support and safeguard various programmes and policies from the Ministry of Tourism,” said Tantowi Yahya, who also serves as Roving Ambassador for the Pacific region.
Tantowi explained that NHI, as Indonesia’s oldest hospitality school, currently has more than 35,000 alumni scattered throughout the world. They are currently and have previously held various strategic positions in government, industry and various organisations. They are an asset that can be utilised to build and develop tourism in Indonesia.
Tantowi, also a former Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand, reported that before meeting with the Ministry of Tourism, IKA NHI had already held audiences with several ministries and institutions, including Commission VII of the Indonesian Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Creative Economy, the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers and the prominent MICE organiser PACTO.
Building synergy
The audience was conducted to build synergy and assist the government, particularly in achieving the programme to send 500,000 trained workers abroad. IKA, with all its experience and networks, can be a partner in providing and training Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) sent overseas to be trained and in accordance with market requirements.
On that occasion, IKA also conveyed the need for tourism education to be taught to children from an early age so that the community becomes tourism-aware. Understanding tourism also needs to be instilled in stakeholders in the regions, as destinations are owned and managed by provinces, districts and cities.
“Therefore, in the near future, IKA NHI will hold an audience with the Ministry of Social Affairs as the responsible party for People’s Schools and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees regional governance,” added Tantowi Yahya.
Meanwhile, Minister Widiyanti and her delegation responded enthusiastically to all the issues raised as they are in line with the Ministry of Tourism’s roadmap. For this reason, the Minister and IKA NHI agreed that there would be follow-up meetings to discuss various issues of mutual concern.