MPI, WTTC to bost tourism awarenes

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Tourism Council (MPI) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) have agreed to form a strategic alliance in order to boost the tourism industry at home.

Pontjo Sutowo, the chairman of the MPI said that the first task would be to raise awareness among the governing elite about the importance of tourism as a major driving force in the country's economy.

"Officials of the central and local governments still have a poor awareness about tourism's role in the economy," he said.

Pontjo failed to give the details of the program. However, Jean Claude Baumgarten, the WTTC's president, said that in the future, his organization and the MPI might hold dialogs with the country's politicians about tourism.

"They have to know that it concerns their interests too. Tourism is a resilience industry. It is not only a job creator, it can also bridge the gap between the rich and the poor," Jean Claude said.

Based on WTTC Tourism Satellite Accounts research, world tourism could generate US$4.2 trillion revenue and create 202 million jobs. --JP