Joop Ave — Credit: Tonny Syiariel
“MEMORY,” said Cicero, “is the treasury and guardian of all things.”
Friends and colleagues who treasure the memory of Joop Ave, PATA chairman 1994-95, would recall first, his physical stature: a giant of a man. That alone, however, would be an utterly inadequate description of a man of overwhelming generosity, a cheerful giver, an idealistic visionary, an inspiring leader, whom PATA was privileged to have as a steadfast friend and compelling guide at a time of unparalleled achievement for the association.
To quote Shakespeare: “He did bestride the narrow world (of PATA) like a Colossus”. Yet, he was more than a Colossus; he was a lion among beasts, and eagle among the birds and indeed, the sun in a cloudless sky.
At the time Joop Ave took over from Rowland Cobbold as chairman of PATA in 1994, I was PATA president and CEO, having taken over just two years previously from Kane Rufe, a PATA that was operating on a deficit budget, a dwindling chapter network, diminishing membership income, and under pressure to restore the organisation’s financial viability which became my immediate priority. With chairman Cobbold’s guidance we reorganised PATA’s accounting systems within a year, providing for greater oversight and transparency.
As chairman, Joop Ave’s first priority was to resurrect membership confidence. He summoned me from San Francisco to Jakarta where he was minister of tourism. Upon arrival, I found that he had placed at my disposal a private corporate jet for immediate transfer to Bali, where he had arranged an Indonesian travel delegation to escort me to the hotel in a procession replete with Balinese dancers. Next morning I called on Joop at his hotel suite and he was all business.
He said the reception accorded to me was a symbolic gesture of the highest regard he had for PATA, not to be confused with personal respect for me as an individual. Then he outlined his priorities as the new chairman: 1) Raise PATA stature in the world; 2) Give recognition to the smaller members of PATA, particularly the smaller island nations of the Pacific, and the chapter network; and 3) Respect the “eminent” members of PATA, particularly the retired life members.
He added he would support the CEO through the vicissitudes of association administration and politics of which he was acutely aware. He requested me to present a strategic plan to implement his priorities at the earliest and asked what he should do first. I told him his first task should be to visit PATA Headquarters in San Francisco and get to know the staff individually. The following week he was in San Francisco unannounced to meet the staff. He visited my home accompanied by an Indonesian delegation of twelve and promptly announced they had come for lunch! What followed was an exercise in unbridled conviviality.
As his tenure as PATA Chairman progressed, Joop Ave’s vision for PATA became one with his personality, such that wherever he went he could not resist blowing the PATA trumpet. At the same time he was acutely aware of the burdens of his CEO having to hold the balance between the PATA members with varying degrees of ego and differences in regional outlooks, industry category needs, big and small membership psyches and the inevitable association politics. Although I rarely wished to impose on him, he went out of his way to diffuse tensions and placate “warring” factions. In the end he forged a PATA stronger than the one he inherited, united in objective and mission.
Whatever travel industry event he attended as Indonesia’s minister of tourism, wherever in the world, whenever he espied me in the audience he would insist on inviting me to join him on stage, as PATA president and CEO, often to the chagrin of event organisers – whether delivering the keynote speech at ITB, chairing a tourism ministers’ conference in Spain, or a WTO meeting in Jakarta. I know he did it, not so much for the love of me but for the love of PATA, always wanting to position the association as a global leader, not merely as an Asian spokesman.
Joop insisted that every one of the PATA board meetings of which there were, in those days, four annually, in different countries be “opened” by the local minister of tourism and that the annual conference be “opened” by no less than the head of state. The life members were accorded a place of honour on an elevated platform at all board meetings. The representatives of smaller countries and smaller members were recognised individually with special gifts. We scheduled as many PATA events as possible in small country venues. He envisioned a PATA Travel Mart in a fixed location as a sort of Asian ITB. The chapters’ world conference was to be developed into a model to be emulated by other industry organisations. He managed the board meetings with wit, humour and diplomacy, achieving his objectives with even his worst critics feeling satisfied.
Yet, Joop was not without detractors; if he did not have any he would not have been human, and humanity was one of his greatest assets.
Today, as PATA mourns, the demise of a giant among the giants of his day, it is best to remember Joop was a giant who transformed PATA from being a regional tourism body in Asia to the vanguard of global tourism. A true PATA giant has left us bereft, with a deep sense of gratitude.
As Cicero said: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of others.”
A little child actress in a movie set came up to the star of the movie and said to her: “Gee, you look so nice.” The star made a pouty face and asked: “What am I to say to that?” The little girl replied: “You are supposed to say thank you!”
So, we say unreservedly a hearty: “Thank you, Joop.”
By Lakshman Ratnapala
Ratnapala was formerly president and CEO of PATA, and is now a PATA life member.
