Tourism to offer work to nearly one million more

Tourism to offer work to nearly one million more

JAKARTA (JP): The tourist industry is expected to offer new
employment to nearly one million people during the Sixth Five
Year Development Plan (Repelita VI) which began in April.

"More than 900,000 people will be needed to work in the
tourism-related businesses, especially in the hotel industry,"
the chief of the research and development board of the Ministry
of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, I Gede Ardika, told
reporters here over the weekend after delivering a speech.

He was speaking at a seminar on Business in Tourism in the
Year 2000.

He said that of the total number of professionals needed to
work in the hotel industry, 65 percent will work as general
officers or operators, 30 percent as supervisors and five percent
as managers.

"The total employment will include unskilled, semi-skilled,
skilled and highly-skilled workers," he said, adding that at
least 10 percent of the job seekers would need to have undergone
specific training in hotel management.

The seminar, which was officially opened by Director General
of Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng, was held by Trisakti Tourism
Institute.

Andi said that so far, there are about 800,000 people working
in the hotel industry, of whom only 252 are expatriates, who are
usually chefs and chief cooks.

"The hotel industry is growing steadily because about 80
percent of foreign visitors stay in star-rated hotels," he said,
adding that domestic tourists usually prefer to stay in small
hostels or relatives' houses.

The government expects some five to 6.5 million foreign
visitors, bringing in US$8.2 billion to $8.9 billion in foreign
exchange per annum by the end of the Repelita VI period. (icn)