JAKARTA - The launch of the Indonesia Tourism Promotion Board (ITPB) website and a mascot were the highlights at the opening of Tourism Indonesia Mart (TIME '99) this week by minister of tourism, art and culture, Mr Marzuki Usman. ITPB's website, www. itpb.or.id, provides information on its services and Indonesian tourism.

ITPB executive director, Mr Gatot Sumartono, said: "ITPB is a non-profit organisation, therefore we appointed an independent provider, Cakrawala Dunia Pariwisata Indonesia, to do the business part, to serve our clients' needs." Dodo, the mascot, is a stylised Komodo dragon which is indigenous to east Nusa Tenggara.

TIME organising committee chairman and ITPB board member, Ms Meity Robot, said: "We looked for an animal which could be identified with Indonesia, the way the kangaroo is with Australia or the panda is with China."