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Manpower Ministry provides language instructors for local tour guides
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The Tourism Ministry has sent English instructors to Raja Ampat to train the local tour guides as the place is frequented by plenty of foreign tourists. (Shutterstock/File)
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n pushing the spirit of “Indonesia Incorporated,” the Tourism Ministry is working hand in hand with the Manpower Ministry to improve the human resources in the tourist industry.
“We already have several vocational training centers under the ministry and provincial administrations located mostly in cross-border areas. Other than that we’ve also prepared language instructors,” says Manpower Minister M. Hanif Dakhiri. The ministry has sent English instructors to Raja Ampat to train the local tour guides as the place is frequented by plenty of foreign tourists.
Read also: Guide to visiting Raja Ampat for first-timers
Another issue that has come to the attention of Dakhiri is the development of homestays in rural areas. While it definitely boosts the labor force and economy, Dakhiri has suggested the creation of a different set of homestay classifications for tourists to choose between.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said each homestay has its own local touch that reflects the culture of the area and when it comes to service, the ministry has assigned a deputy of destination and tourism industry development to give lectures about hospitality.
Gradually, local homestays are also going digital. They are being given a website template complete with payment, booking and e-commerce systems. “The target is for them to have access to global markets with one platform to look, book and pay, which is through the Indonesia Tourism Exchange,” explained Yahya. (asw)
