Improve tourism promotion: Soeharto

Improve tourism promotion: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated tourism, post and telecommunications projects worth Rp 3.83 trillion (US$1.7 billion) here yesterday, while calling for improved promotion and services in the tourism industry.

"Tourism, post and telecommunications are sectors which can help accelerate the country's development," President Soeharto said at the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by a number of cabinet members and business leaders.

He stated that to make the tourist industry the country's major foreign exchange earner, promotions should be arranged in the centers of the international tourist markets.

"We have also to improve services to foreign visitors. We should work hand in hand, especially in the sectors of transportation, customs and excise, immigration as well as security," he said.

The government has targeted the tourism industry as the country's biggest foreign exchange earner by the 2000s.

More than 10 million foreign visitors are expected to visit Indonesia per annum by the end of the seventh Five Year Development Plan (Repelita VII) period which will end in March 2004.

The number of tourist arrivals increased fourfold from 1983 to 1993, while the country's revenues generated from the visiting tourists rose more than eightfold. Last year, more than four million foreign tourists visited Indonesia, spending some $4.7 billion.

This year, Indonesia plans to host some 4.5 million foreign visitors, bringing in $6.09 billion in foreign exchange.

President Soeharto also officially opened a two-day forum yesterday which will discuss the country's tourism industry's efforts to become the biggest foreign exchange earner by 2005.

The President also presented 35 Adikarya awards yesterday to individuals, organizations and enterprises devoted to the country's tourism, post and telecommunications development. The recipients included First Lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto.

The projects inaugurated by the President yesterday were the new building of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, 34 star-rated hotels located in 12 provinces, 41 postal service buildings located in 25 provinces and seven types of telecommunications projects.

Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave said that the 43 star-rated hotels were constructed at a total cost of Rp 1.35 trillion and the postal service buildings at Rp 13.5 billion.

The telecommunications projects, which included fixed, cordless and cellular telephone networks, earth stations, radio paging and Internet services and telecommunications kiosks, cost Rp 2.37 trillion.

"Total value of the projects is Rp 3.83 trillion, of which Rp 1.85 trillion were financed by the government and the remainder by private firms," Joop said.

He said that the construction of his new office building cost Rp 95.5 billion. (icn)