JULIA Noordraven, a veteran in Indonesia’s tourism industry, passed away in Kuala Lumpur last night at the age of 81. The funeral takes place today in Bandung.
Julia had spent two days in Kuala Lumpur being treated for a heart problem in the city’s State Heart Institute.
Julia was president director of Vista Express Tour & Travel, one of Indonesia’s pioneering travel companies. Vista Express, which has been in business since 1973, helped to open up Indonesia as a port of call in the early 1990s.
Indah Wisata Melawai Chapter’s travel consultant, Theo Setlight, who had been with Vista Express then, remembers Julia as a “hands-on” leader.
He said: “(The port openings) started when the company won business from Hapag-Lloyd. MS Europa was the first cruise ship visiting Ambon (Maluku). After that, new destinations followed such as Agats (West Papua) and Bitung (North Sulawesi), which were remote places with no proper facilities for cruises.
“This happened because of Julia’s eagerness to show off Indonesia’s exoticism, her leadership and determination in putting out the best service. She had always been hands-on with the preparations.”
