Bali's tourism industry destroys itself<\/p>\n
Nyoman Suwela
\nSingaraja, Bali<\/p>\n
It is an undeniable fact that Bali's economy relies on
\ntourism. The former director of Bali's tourist authority, Gde
\nPitana, once said that tourism is the bread for Bali.
\nFurthermore, he said that tourism is not an ultimate goal but a
\nmeans to achieve the goal that is primarily the welfare of
\nBalinese and Indonesians, in general.<\/p>\n
The local government, since the outset, has fully realized
\nthat the main tourist attractions for Bali are its unique culture
\ntailored by its natural scenic beauties. Heated arguments came up
\nin seminars and discussions; either among private groups or
\ngovernment agencies.<\/p>\n
The topic was how Bali could sustain its tourist sector in the
\nfuture. They argued that Bali's tourist development must be
\nthoroughly planned and tightly regulated. A reputable consultant,
\nSceto from France, was invited to Bali to formulate an
\nappropriate master plan for tourism. After a long survey and much
\ndiscussion, a concept of Bali's tourism master plan was submitted
\nto the provincial administration. It is popularly called \"Bali's
\nTourism Development Master Plan\".<\/p>\n
The consultant considered that one of the main tourist
\nattractions, Bali's unique culture, must be preserved and
\nshielded from an influx of negative tourist influences. The
\nsolution proposed was to minimize the direct contact between
\ntourists and local people. It was proposed that several tourist
\nresorts, be designated areas assigned for the provision of
\ntourist facilities including hotels and restaurants. It was
\nforecast that tourist arrivals would keep increasing every year.
\nAmong the designated tourist resorts were: Kuta, Sanur, Ubud and
\nNusa Dua. Nusa Dua was especially developed by the government as
\na new, well-planned tourist resort different from Kuta, which
\nhas been developing without a proper plan for decades.<\/p>\n
Even though Nusa Dua's development and regulation are several
\nyears behind schedule, it is acknowledged as being successful. It
\nhas also been used as model for tourism development in many other
\nareas in Indonesia and overseas. On paper, the plan was great, in
\nreality, it was a different matter. The fact is the governor of
\nBali has granted an official permit for a power plant, known as
\nPLTGU, to be built in the Kalibukbuk tourist area, which was
\nsupposed to be designated for development of tourist facilities.<\/p>\n
This designation means that the development of industry is
\nprohibited. The outcries of those involved in the tourist
\nbusiness of the area were unheeded by both the regency and
\nprovincial authorities. If the authority that is supposed to
\nenforce the rule breaches it themselves, who is expected to honor
\nthe regulations?<\/p>\n
It is no exaggeration to say that Bali's tourism was booming
\nuntil the unexpected tragedy of the 2002 Bali bombing in Kuta's
\nmost popular entertainment area. For the Balinese, it was a
\nnightmare. Nobody could have imagined that such a tragedy would
\nhappen on Bali, especially since the Balinese are known for
\nfriendly attitudes and tolerance of other's nationality,
\nethnicity, color or belief.<\/p>\n
The ramifications of that tragedy echoed all over the world.
\nThe tiny island in Indonesia's archipelago had to suffer, not
\nonly economically but psychologically as well. The tragedy has
\nleft a deep scar on the Balinese and it could take a very long
\ntime to forget. The sympathies that came pouring into Bali from
\nall over the world were beyond anybody's imagination, which
\nconvinced everyone that tourism would eventually get back to
\nnormal.<\/p>\n
As time has gone by, reality tells a different story. In the
\nprocess of recovering, the central government in Jakarta issued a
\nnew regulation concerning international visas and revoked the
\npolicy of no cost, 60-day visa-upon-entry for a large number of
\nnationalities. The new policy, widely known as, the visa-on-
\narrival was granted to handful of countries at a set cost (US$25)
\nand a maximum continuous stay of just 30 days. What possible
\nreason could have led to the government's decision to limit the
\ntime during which tourists can financially contribute to Bali?
\nSome tourists simply shorten their vacation time on Bali and move
\non to other Asian resorts. In this situation for Bali's tourism
\nsector, it was tantamount to rubbing salt into the wound.<\/p>\n
At present, the realities show that many tourist-related
\nbusinesses are hardly surviving, and several have gone bankrupt.
\nFor example, many hotels, restaurants, money changers and art
\nshops in the Kalibukbuk\/Lovina Tourist Resort have closed due to
\nthe lack of tourists.<\/p>\n
Who should be blamed? Let's call a spade a spade.<\/p>\n
A tourism expert once said, \"tourism destroys tourism\". It
\nsounds bizarre, but it may now be happening in Bali. It was
\nrecently reported in The Jakarta Post that the beaches of
\nsouthern Bali had been heavily polluted. The pollution was partly
\ndue the waste thrown into the sea from local businesses in areas
\nwithout proper treatment. The concrete jetties built along
\nCandidasa beach resort in eastern Bali is just simply an eyesore.<\/p>\n
On the northern part, along the Kalibukbuk beach resort,
\nhotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities have been built
\nright on the sand, which resulted in the disappearance of beach
\nsediment ... The floodplain of the river has been filled to pave
\nthe way for new development resulting in constriction of the
\nriver. This then causes annual flooding during Bali's rainy
\nseason.<\/p>\n
Most of these uncontrolled development projects have been
\nperpetrated by those who are involved in the tourist trade. The
\nconcept of sustainable development has never occurred to them.
\nThis short-term way of thinking has been destroying the future of
\nBali's tourism.<\/p>\n
The writer owns a hotel in Bali.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/balis-tourism-industry-destroys-itself-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }