Indonesia gets awards for its tourist related efforts

By I. Christianto

SEOUL (JP): The Indonesian government yesterday received a Grand Award from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for its efforts to preserve the Borobudur and Prambanan temples in Central Java.

The award for the work to protect and save the two temples, which were established before the 10th century, was presented at the opening of PATA's 43rd annual conference, which was attended by about 3,000 tourism industry executives from 70 countries.

The conference was opened by South Korean President Kim Young- Sam.

The association also presented Grand Awards yesterday to the New South Wales Tourism Commission of Australia, the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort of Hawaii, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation of Australia.

In 1987, Mrs. Tien Soeharto received a cultural award from PATA for her role in the establishment of the Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature (TMII) theme park.

PATA also presented two Gold Awards to Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier for its marketing programs and advertisement.

There were nearly 350 gold awards presented by PATA yesterday.

PATA's president and chief executive officer (CEO), Lakshman Ratnapala, told The Jakarta Post during a welcome dinner here on Sunday that the organization also rewarded the Indonesian chapter of PATA for its excellent programs conducted last year.

He commented that the chapter, which doubled its membership last year, deserved the Award of Excellence.

Similar awards also went to the association's Australian and Taiwan chapters.

The excellence awards were presented to the three countries at the close of the sixth annual PATA Chapter World Congress in Kyongju, a tourist complex in the southeastern part of Seoul, shortly before the opening of the PATA's 43rd annual conference at the capital city.

PATA, headquartered in San Francisco of the United States also held its 21st Travel Mart in South Korea, which has launched a Visit Korea Year 1994 campaign.

The Future

Discussions at the conference, which will end on Thursday, are focusing on "Investing in the Future."

PATA's chairman Rowland Cobbold said that by the end of this decade, the tourism industry will account for 10 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

He also said tourism is the world's largest industry, providing one in ten of all jobs, with over 80 million new jobs being created in the Asia-Pacific region in the next 10 years.

Conference Chairman Youn-Tai Chi said that it was the third time Korea hosted PATA's annual conference. The event was also held here in 1965 and 1979.

Seoul is coincidentally celebrating its 600th anniversary this year.

The director of marketing for Indonesia's Directorate General of Tourism, Den Zachrie, told the Post that 47 Indonesian companies participated in the Travel Mart held here from April 11 to April 13.

Zachrie, who is also chairman of Indonesia's delegation at the mart, said the Indonesian companies concluded 395 working contracts with foreign businessmen at the event.

The Travel Mart named the Jakarta Grand Hyatt as the best business hotel in the world, Singapore Airlines as the best airline and the Singapore's Changi as the best airport.