Surabaya ready to host ASEAN tourism forum

Surabaya ready to host ASEAN tourism forum

JAKARTA (JP): At least 1,650 participants from the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will attend the ASEAN Tourism
Forum (ATF) in Surabaya, East Java, from Jan. 6 to Jan. 12.

Managing director of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board,
Wuryastuti Sunario, said here yesterday that the number would
include tourism officials, executives of private firms, tourism
organizations and associations as well as the press.

"ATF 1995, held in Bangkok, Thailand, was attended by 1,200
participants. But the number of participants at ATF 1996 in
Surabaya is likely to be larger than 1,650, the total number
registered as of Dec. 28," she said.

She said that the annual event is a forum to discuss
cooperation in tourism promotion and marketing among the ASEAN
members. The association groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

"Actually the cooperation began with the concept of 'Visit
ASEAN Year 1992' which promoted ASEAN tourism as a single
destination. The campaign was known as 'Six in one destination'
(without Vietnam, which joined ASEAN last year)," she said.

ATF is an annual event held since 1981 by the host government
and its tourist industry. ATF usually includes meetings of
government tourism officials.

In addition to the main conference and meetings, ATF
will include a tourism mart called Travex (travel exchange) and
other meetings of the private organizations which make up the
ASEAN Hotel and Restaurant Association, Federation of ASEAN
Travel Agencies and the scheduled airlines in the region.

Travex 1996 in Surabaya will feature 476 booths for more than
950 seller delegates from the seven ASEAN members and more than
370 buyers from 46 countries.

Tuti said that four tourism ministers from Maldives, Cambodia,
Myanmar and Laos would attend this year's ATF, which will be
covered by more than 100 reporters from more than 20 countries.

The event, organized by PT Setia Mice in cooperation with the
Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board, will be 66 percent financed
by private firms and 34 percent by government funds.

"Of the total cost of Rp 4.8 billion (approximately US$2
million), private companies and organizations contributed Rp 3.2
billion," Tuti said.

Meanwhile, the province of East Java has prepared some
performances for this year's ATF, including a flower parade,
karapan sapi (a kind of bull race from the island of Madura) and
Adu Doro (a pigeon flying competition).

Governor of East Java Basofi Sudirman will welcome the ATF
delegates at Grahadi, the governor's mansion, on Saturday.

President of ASEANTA, Sri Mulyono Herlambang, who is also
chairman of the Association of Indonesian Travel Agencies
(Asita), will officially open the event on Sunday. (icn)