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)