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Megawati
Thanks PATA
The
President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri,
extended her invitation to PATA delegates
to witness any part of Indonesia, not to
mention this island of Bali. “See with
your own eyes the way of life of our people,”
said Madam Megawati in her opening speech
of the 52nd PATA Annual Conference in Nusa
Dua, Monday (14/4).
The sounding of a gong marked the official
opening of the conference. The opening ceremony
inclued a lively cultural performance entitled
“The Jewel of Paradise” choreographed
by Prof. Dr. I Made Bandem and his wife
Swasthi Widjaja, from an art Institute of
Indonesia.
Indonesian Cultural and Tourism Minister,
I Gede Ardika welcomed the participants
warmly by saying that Indonesia is truly
honored to host the conference this time.
“I am proud that the 52nd PATA conference
is returning to Bali. The last time the
state of Indonesia hosted a PATA conference
was in 1991,” he said.
Setyanto P. Santosa, of PATA 2003 Indonesian
Organizing Committee, reported that 921
delegates attended the conference, from
42 countries or from 429 organizations.
He thanked the delegates for making the
decision to come to Bali in this difficult
situation. He mentioned the Bali tragedy
last October but emphasized that Bali is
still Bali.
Thank
to PATA
President Megawati thanked the PATA committee
for entrusting Bali to host the Conference.
“We accept such a trust as a great
opportunity not only to restore our self-confidence
so that we will be able to rebuild our tourism,
but also to regain our image as an attractive
tourist destination,” she added.
In relation to the Bali tragedy last October,
Megawati emphasized again that Indonesia
has pursued the perpetrators and have now
brought them to justice. The President criticizes
the excessive reactions, including the issue
of travel warnings or even travel bans to
a particular country, which are not productive.
“We learn that the excessively protective
policy, which tends to demonstrate phobia,
does not necessarily diminish the threat
of terrorism. Rather, it is obviously detrimental
to economic life. We all know that the first
to suffer is tourism,” Megawati added.
According to Madame Megawati, tourism seems
to function as a locomotive that drives
programs to eradicate poverty and promote
public welfare. “Yet, we are well aware
that tourism development should entail the
preservation of our cultural heritage and
values, which are important for our next
generation and at the same time, serve as
our contribution to mankind in general,”
said Megawati. (dp)
Memorandum
of Understanding
The
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and
the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO)
Wednesday (15/4) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) at the 52nd PATA Annual
Conference. The MoU’s objective is
to pave the way for streamlined communications
between the two organizations, ensuring
that they work together as much as possible
to deliver maximum benefits to their respective
members.
PATA President and CEO, Mr. Peter de Jong
and SPTO Deputy Chairman, Mr. Bill Gavoka
signed the agreement. Tonga’s Tourism
Minister, Mr. Mussao Paunga, and Fiji’s
Tourism Minister, Mr. Pita Nacuva witnessed
the signing.
Mr. de Jong said: “PATA and SPTO will
both benefit from this new exchange of information
resources. The SPTO brings local access
and knowledge we wouldn’t otherwise
have.” Mr. Gavoka added: “The
SPTO and its members can benefit from PATA’s
global network and its marketing out-reach
on behalf of the South Pacific.” This
MOU continues PATA’s efforts to maximize
benefits for its Pacific-based membership.
(Ian Kennedy)
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