Tourism foundation to be created

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications will set up a tourism foundation by the end of this year to provide tourism scholarships to both senior high school and college students.

"Human resources are very important for the development of the country's tourism industry," Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave told reporters after receiving students from the Bandung-based Institute of Tourism at his office yesterday.

He said he will ask several ministers, such as Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman, who is a former minister of tourism, post and telecommunications, to join the foundation's board of advisors.

He said a number of businessmen, including noted hotelier Sukamdani Sahid Gitosardjono and tycoon Sudwikatmono, are committed to providing scholarships for up to 5,100 students.

Joop said that before the year 2000, Indonesia will likely need some 10,000 professionals to work in the tourism industry.

The ministry has recently established a Technical Education Foundation to provide scholarships to the students of the telecommunications institute. (icn)