Urban tourism explored in Bandung<\/p>\n
By Myra Gunawan<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): When people talk about tourism, they usually
\nthink of beach resorts or mountain getaways. It is also true
\namong scholars; only since the 1990s has urban tourism gained
\nsignificant and growing attention.<\/p>\n
Urban tourism is almost always underestimated and
\nmisunderstood. The complexities of the urban tourism phenomena
\nhave also led to it receiving less publicity.<\/p>\n
What makes a city attractive for visitors depends on the
\nregional, national or international functions attributed to the
\ncity, in terms of the nature of its economic, political or
\nsociocultural profiles.<\/p>\n
The city of Bandung is only one among other cities in
\nIndonesia, including Jakarta, Denpasar, Makassar, Medan and
\nSurabaya, which are involved in tourism. The large cities
\nfunction as international gateways.<\/p>\n
Bandung was founded as early as 1810 when the capital of the
\nregency was moved south from the old town to the existing city
\nsquare, the present place of residence for the mayor. The
\nmunicipality was established in 1906 when Bandung was accorded
\nthe status by the Dutch government.<\/p>\n
Bandung was developed to accommodate the Dutch planters, and
\nmany facilities were created to make the city functioning and
\nattractive. Government offices, mosques and churches, housing of
\nmany types, shopping streets, higher education institutions,
\nplaces for social and cultural activities and hotels and
\nrestaurants were established. Known as the Paris of Java, Bandung
\nwas the city the Dutch visited instead of returning on leave to
\ntheir homeland; it was also popular among Indonesians, who called
\nit "Kota Kembang" (Flower City) for the beauty of its natural
\nsurroundings and women.<\/p>\n
Bandung is still a favorite destination today, but from
\ndifferent sources of visitors. Its universities are nationally
\nrenowned, and students bring in additional visitors of their
\nrelatives and friends. The city is also increasingly well-known
\nas a site for seminars.<\/p>\n
Business travelers also flock to the West Java capital, which
\nis in the heart of Indonesian textile country and the hub for the
\ntelecommunications industry.<\/p>\n
And, as with the days of Dutch colonialism, Bandung remains a
\nfavorite spot to visit because of its cool climate.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there is no single source of information on
\nvisitor arrivals in the city. However, there are several
\nindicators that can be used to gain a view of the city as far as
\ntourism is concerned.<\/p>\n
Bandung today has 41 classified and 121 nonclassified hotels
\nplus 36 guesthouses with total capacity of 7,911 rooms. Assuming
\nan average annual occupancy rate of just 40 persons and 1.5
\npersons per room, it would add up to about 1.7 million
\nguestnights.<\/p>\n
What is also interesting is the fact that more than half of
\nthe hotel room capacity was built after 1990; almost 60 percent
\nof classified and 50 percent of nonclassified hotel rooms were
\nbuilt during the 1990s. Hotel chains such as the Sheraton,
\nHorison, Chedi, Holiday Inn, Aquila and Hyatt arrived during
\nthese years. To a certain extent, the boom in new hotels led to
\nolder hotels losing part of their business.<\/p>\n
There are no records of how many international tourists visit
\nBandung; hotel guest statistics do not differentiate
\nexpatriate\/foreign residents from international travelers. For
\nIndonesians, a sample survey found that less than 20 percent
\nstayed in hotels; the rest stayed with relatives and friends, or
\nin their weekend homes in the city.<\/p>\n
From a sample survey of 937 respondents at various hotels,
\nplaces of interest and city gateways, most of the visitors were
\nfrom West Java (36 percent) and Jakarta (32 percent). Those
\ncoming from the outer islands make up less than 10 percent. More
\nthan half of the classified hotel guests come from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Most of the visitors to Bandung are repeaters, like the
\nJakarta residents who want to get away from the heat and hectic
\npace of life with a stay in Bandung. What is unusual is that the
\nconventional tourism resources do not attract visitors as such.
\nMuseum are visited only by students, because they are ordered to
\ndo so, and historical places attract very few foreigners.<\/p>\n
The survey also indicates that shopping is popular among hotel
\nguest respondents, with 80 percent of them visiting shops. From
\nthe popular "jeans street" of Cihampelas, there has developed the
\nfactory outlets, now all the rage for visitors.<\/p>\n
The author is the founder of the Center for Research on
\nTourism, Institute of Technology, Bandung.<\/p>",
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