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)