Indonesia picked as feature nation for PATA event

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will be a feature country at the 1999 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart, to be held at the Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Center on April 13 to April 16.

Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (BPPI) Pontjo Sutowo said on Wednesday that as a feature country Indonesia would act as a host for the event, even though the venue is in Singapore.

"As a feature country, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Marzuki Usman will deliver an opening speech at a gala dinner on the eve of the travel mart."

"In his speech, he will tell attendees that the Indonesian tourist industry is down but not out, despite being hit hard by political turmoil and a protracted economic crisis," Pontjo said.

Pontjo, who also is the chairman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association, said the PATA Travel Mart was the Asia Pacific's premier travel trade fair, and this year the fair was expected to attract more than 400 exhibitors, 320 buyers and over 1,300 delegates.

"The travel mart will be a good event for us to approach wholesaler buyers and let them know that we have the most competitive tourism products," he said.

Pontjo said that Indonesia would use the event to rebuild its image as one of the best tourist destinations in the world.

Meity Robot, the chairwoman of the Jakarta chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies, said Indonesia would be represented at the event by 39 participants, comprising members of the private sector, the directorate general of tourism and national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

"All of them will sell their products under one pavilion because we want to sell Indonesia as a whole," she said.

BPPI vice chairman Feisol Hashim, who chairs the national committee for the event, said Indonesian participants would not only sell their existing products, but also would offer new products, such as diving and white-water rafting packages.

He said the committee would present a multimedia exhibition on the eve of the travel fair to give participants a clearer view of Indonesia's current situation and its tourism potential.

"Director General of Tourism I Gde Ardhika and Pak Pontjo will also hold a press conference to address questions from buyers and the media on the country's situation," he said.

He added the committee would need around S$200,000 to finance its activities at the fair, most of which would be provided by the private sector.

Pontjo said he would tell the media that Indonesia's condition was not as bad as had been reported and there were many parts of the country which still were safe to visit.

"We will give them details on which parts of Indonesia have seen riots. For example, we have to explain that Sambas is far away from Bali or Jakarta, and even closer to Malaysia and Singapore," he said referring to the current outbreak of violence in Sambas, West Kalimantan.

The country's tourist industry has suffered since 1997 when large forest fires in Kalimantan produced a thick haze which covered vast areas of the country. Last year, the industry suffered an even deeper slump during and following the May riots, which prompted many countries to warn their citizens against traveling to Indonesia.

The severe economic crisis which has hit the region and social unrest across Indonesia caused foreign tourist arrivals to fall by 20 percent to about 3.8 million visitors last year, down from 5.04 million visitors in 1997 and well below the government's target of 4.8 million foreign tourist arrivals.

This year, the number of foreign tourist arrivals is expected to fall even further due to fear of instability ahead of the June 7 general election and the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly. (gis)