JAKARTA (indo.com): Minister of Culture and Tourism I Gede Ardika has expressed the hope that tourism operators will establish a proactive attitude and uphold a code of business ethics to help the country achieve its economic recovery.

"Tourism industry operators should be able to release themselves from the feeling of being shackled by the multi-dimensional crisis Indonesian people are currently facing, but instead should change the crisis into tangible tourism activities," Ardika said in a seminar organized by the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) in Jakarta recently.

Ardika said that the continuous feeling of being shackled by the multi-dimensional crisis and the security situation would hamper the recovery of the ailing tourism business and the economy as a whole.

He said that tourism operators should instead "utilize the momentum of the Youth Oath Pledge Day (that falls on October 28) to declare their commitment to lift the country out of this crisis by establishing a proper value system and upholding a good code of business ethics."

"Professionalism is PHRI's business ethics code. Without the moral foundation, it will be difficult to change the crisis into positive actions such as the acceleration of tourism promotion, products and human resources," he added.