TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Joop Ave, former Tourism Minister during the era of ex President Soeharto has died yesterday. He was treated at Mount Elizabeth hospital, Singapore, due to complications.
"This is a great loss for our nation," Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said as quoted by Antara.
To Mari, Joop Ave was an exceptional figure who had opened a path for Indonesian tourism development. "He was worthy to be called the Father of Indonesian Tourism," she said.
Mari said Joop had created a good image for Indonesian tourism in the eyes of international community.
In the ministry itself, Joop was credited for having been able to create many things such as the standard of hospitality in welcoming guests. He was also credited for placing tourism education in the ministry’s human resources.
Joop Ave, born in Yogyakarta on December 5, 1934, was the Minister of Tourism, Post, and Telecommuniction during the Sixth Development Cabinet.
Joop was also active for 20 years in protocol and was the former Directorate General for Tourism in 1982. He was an expert in three foreign languages: English, French and German. Joop Ave had also served as the Presidential Palace Household Chief from 1972 to 1978.
Before he took office as the Directorate General for Tourism, he had been the Foreign Affairs Department’s Directorate General for Protocol and Consular period 1978-1982.
Joop’s other positions were the head of ASEAN Sub-Committee on Tourism (1983-1986) and Council Director of PATA (1984-1986).
WDA | ANT
