A Creative Approach to Funding Tourism Promotion

(7/2/2007)

The Indonesian Tourism Council(DEPARI) have asked Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism to use Presidential Instruction No. 16 of 2005 to overcome the current impasse in promotion funding leading up to "Visit Indonesia Year 2008."

According to the Chairman of DEPARI, Iqbal Alan Abdullah: "The Minister of Culture and Tourism has the ability via Presidential Instruction No. 16 of 2005 to accumulate funds for promotion working with related government departments. We do not think that a lack of funding from the legislature can be used as a reason for failing to launch 'Visit Indonesia Year 2008'."

According to Iqbal, delaying the launch of the special promotion until December will render "Visit Indonesia Year 2008" ineffective and must therefore be launched and funded no later than July-August 2007. The perfect timing for launching the "visit Indonesia 2008" promotion, according to Iqbal, would be when the President delivers his annual address on Indonesian Independence day – August 17, 2007.

DEPARI maintains that in the absence of formal funding from the State budget, the Culture and Tourism Minister is empowered to use the 2005 Presidential Instruction to "force" State-owned companies to contribute funds needed for tourism promotion. As a further basis for demanding the financial cooperation of government-owned companies, DEPARI points to the Presidential decree issued in support of national tourism at the National Coordinating Meeting on Culture and Tourism held at the Bali Presidential Retreat in January 2005.