Jakarta to host PATA seminar

Jakarta to host PATA seminar

JAKARTA (JP): The city will host a seminar and conference next
month of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) tourism youths in
Indonesia.

"The event will follow up the results of the PATA Youth Forum
held in Surabaya, East Java in January," Director General of
Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng told reporters yesterday.

He said the Jakarta event was prepared by the Ministry of
Tourism, Post and Telecommunications in cooperation with the
office of the state minister of youth affairs and sports and the
National Youth Committee.

The seminar and conference, which focuses on the participation
of Indonesia's youth in tourism, will be held from Oct. 1 to Oct.
10 at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.

"The event is aimed to channel the youths' ideas and visions
in participating to develop the country's tourism industry. The
goal is to establish a precise concept in tourism development,"
he said.

Youths are defined as those under 32 years of age.

Andi also said yesterday that 291 delegates are expected to
participate in the World Tourism Organization International Forum
for Parliaments and Local Authorities Tourism Policymakers,
scheduled for Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 in Bali.

He said the delegates will come from 61 nations and four
international organizations: the European Parliament, Central
American Parliament, Interparliamentary Union and the Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

House Speaker Wahono is scheduled to open the event.

Andi said Yogyakarta will also host a three-day tourism
seminar entitled "Tourism and Heritage Management Conference:
Balancing Conservation and Development" on Oct. 28 to Oct. 30.

Some 200 to 250 participants are expected to take part in the
event, which will feature futurologist Alvin Toffler and
anthropologist Clifford Geertz as speakers.

Some of the topics to be discussed during the conference will
include "The Spirit of Place, Diversity and Uniqueness", "Role of
Multimedia in Heritage Interpretation", "Heritage Site
Preservation and Management Issues in Developed and Developing
Countries" and "Authenticity and Quality of Experience for
Visitors". (icn)