Yogyakarta Tourism to Develop Even Faster

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Tourism in Indonesia, especially in the cultural city of Yogyakarta is expected to develop even faster following an important role played by tourist guides. Indonesian Tourism Humanity Friendship Forum (Fosipa) chairman Sarbini said in Yogyakarta over the weekend that the tourist guides had an important role to support the image of that tourism city with outstanding historical and cultural heritage.

"Through their role, the image of tourism in Yogyakarta can be improved in order to have a positive impact on the tourists who visit the tourism objects in the city and elsewhere," Sarbini said.

According to him the tourist guides played an important role in helping both domestic and foreign tourists and making them feel at home during their visit. To give the best possible service to both domestic and foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in general and Yogyakarta in particular, Sarbini said the tourist guides should be more professional, well educated, and well trained.

Tourist guides empowerment is actually needed to improve tourism services beside hotels, restaurants, transportation services, souvenirs and other things. It is because the tourist guides can fulfill a very important role in increasing the number of tourists visiting Yogyakarta.

According to him, optimal service given by tourist guides was of great importance in developing the tourism sector in Yogyakarta. Therefore the tourist guides have to be trained regularly in an effort to improve their skills which in the long run will contribute to the local economic welfare. Sarbini said the tour guides could act as spearhead in promoting tourism objects in Yogyakarta to both domestic and foreign tourists.

"With their particular techniques and ways, the tour guides can make tourists enjoy their visit to the tourism objects in Yogyakarta," Sarbini said.

He pointed out that foreign tourists who got a good impression of the way how the tour guides guided them would then tell it to their relatives on returning to their countries of origin.

"Therefore the tour guides have a very strategic role to play in stepping up the progress of tourism in Yogyakarta," Sarbini added.

He said that besides acting as the spearhead in the promotion of tourism, the tour guides should also have the sense of responsibility to the tourists whom they guided.

"They should have a moral responsibility to the tourists they guide, and they are also required to provide the tourists with the sense of comfort and safety," he said.