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8 Nov, 2016

Joop Ave, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecoms, Indonesia

ASEAN Travel & Tourism Hall of Fame – Initiated by Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil to recognise the many veterans who helped grow and shape ASEAN tourism over the last 50 years.

 Joop Ave

Date of Birth: December 5, 1934

Place of Birth: Yogyakarta

Marital Status: Unmarried

Education

Studied at the Foreign Service Academy (1957) and the University of the Philippines, Manila. Fluent in English, Dutch, French and German.

Career

Born to Dutch ancestors, he served in the Fourth Development Cabinet under Indonesian President Suharto. Active for 20 years in the field of protocol.

He began his career as an author and broadcaster on the French program RRI, Jakarta (1957) before being hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1957). Ten years later, he was in charge of the Consulate General of Indonesia in New York, USA (1967), Secretary I (1970) and Consular Affairs (1972).

Served as the Head of Household at the Presidential Palace from 1972 until 1978. He was awarded the title of Raden Mas Kanjeng Haryo Condronegoro of Mangkunagara VIII.

Before being appointed as Director General of Tourism (1982), he served as Director General of Protocol and Consular Affairs Department of the period (1978-1982).

Chairman of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Tourism (1983-1986) and the PATA Board of Directors (1984-1986).

Co-editor of a number of books about Indonesia and tourism, Indonesian art and craft.

Contribution to ASEAN tourism

At six-foot-three, Ave cut a towering figure during his 16-year career in ASEAN travel & tourism. Closely connected to then Indonesian President Suharto, Mr. Ave, through sheer force of presence and personality, put Indonesia on the global tourism map, was at the forefront of making travel & tourism a primary economic agent of change in Indonesia, expanding airline services into Bali, pushing for a revamp of Garuda Indonesia airlines and launching new marketing campaigns to raise the country’s brand image.

A brilliant multi-lingual orator, he knew how to command an audience and enjoyed a good joust with the media. He used his status to influence change at both ASEAN and PATA, and bring numerous international travel conferences to Indonesia, including the 40th PATA annual conference in Bali in 1991 which marked the launch of the sustainability agenda in the Asia-Pacific, and the 10th annual General Assembly of the UNWTO in Bali in 1993.

Date of Passing: February 5, 2014

Source: Wikipedia, Mr Ave’s friends and colleagues.