Tourists want culture, says tourism official

Tourists want culture, says tourism official

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's tourist industry does not make
the most of the country's natural and cultural wealth because of
a lack of professionals, an official says.

Andi Mappi Sameng, director general of tourism at the Ministry
of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, said yesterday that
Indonesia's rich heritage should give it a strong bargaining
position in the international tourist market.

"We have an abundance of cultural objects that could be
promoted. Each of the 27 provinces has its own rich tradition,"
Andi said in the International Conference on Tourism and Heritage
Management attended by some 200 tourism experts.

Unfortunately, there are not enough quality people to
capitalize on the resources while preserving Indonesian heritage,
he said.

Businessmen, unaware of how the country's priceless heritage
could be used to enhance their businesses, continue to focus
their attention on facilities such as hotels, he said.

"Many tourists come to Indonesia because they want to see the
country's natural beauty and our rich traditions. They don't come
here to see luxury hotels or buildings," Andi said.

There are more important aspects to tourism industry to
handle, he pointed out.

"We must also maintain and preserve the heritage spots that
lures millions of tourists to Indonesia," he said.

In l995, about 4.3 million tourists visited the country
generating around US$5.2 billion in revenue.

The three-day conference was opened Monday and will close this
afternoon.

Douglas Pearce of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand
said that public sector and government institutions at both
regional and national level play a significant role in managing
tourism and preserving a nation's heritage.

He suggested the private sector lead and facilitate joint
activities for tourist industry businesses and workers. There is
also a need for good "tourism planning" to be addressed by the
government as part of its broader strategy on allocating and
utilizing resources, he said.

Implementing tourism plans, such as building infrastructure,
affects the public, so it is vital that the public sector
increases its contribution, he said.

Stephen S. Halshey, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Asia
Travel Association Foundation, agreed. The private sector which
has benefited from tourism should support the management of
cultural heritage, architectural treasures and natural resources.

"The global tourism industry generates billions of dollars
annually. If 10 percent of travel and tourism revenue was plowed
back into managing heritage sites, education programs, and
marketing, the task of maintaining sustainable tourism would be a
lot easier," Halshey said.

The Sangiran archaeological site, the Mangkunegaran Palace in
Solo, and the Borobudur Temple in Muntilan, Magelang, Central
Java, were visited by conference participants in three groups.

At each site, each working group held a special discussion to
draw up recommendations to be presented in the general session
this afternoon.

The conference will be closed tonight at the Prambanan temple
near Yogyakarta by Edi Sediawati, the Ministry of Education and
Culture's director general of culture, and Andi Mappi Sameng.
(RAW/07)