West Java falls short in tourism designs<\/p>\n
By Yuli Tri Suwarni<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): With implementation of regional autonomy looming
\nin 2001, West Java tourist businesses are still experiencing
\nproblems concerning their tourist attractions and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
While other provinces are already recording their potential
\ntourist attractions to be promoted, West Java has yet to develop
\na clear proposal. Still, the head of the West Java Tourism
\nBureau, Memet Handam, has targeted that in 2002 West Java will
\nbe visited by 25 million domestic tourists and one million
\noverseas tourists.<\/p>\n
The potential is undoubtedly there. A buffer area for Jakarta,
\nWest Java is resplendent in its diversity, with the mountain
\nresorts of Puncak, Selanbintana, northern and southern Bandung,
\nplus the Bogor Botanical Gardens and Taman Indonesia Indah safari
\npark combined with stunning coastline.<\/p>\n
According to data from 1999 from West Java's Tourist Bureau,
\nthe province has 387 tourist attractions, including 210 nature
\ntourism sites, 122 cultural attractions and 55 special places of
\ninterest. The attractions are run by the government, state
\ncorporations and state regional corporations, the private sectors
\nand village administrators. Unfortunately, 63 sites are without
\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
The impact of the monetary crisis has been felt by local
\ntourism businesses. Chairman of the West Java chapter of the
\nIndonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association H.S. Hermawan said
\nthat foreign tourists staying in hotels or using other
\naccommodation facilities numbered 366,980 in 1999, a decrease of
\n1.68 percent from the 373,256 in 1998. Likewise, the total
\ndomestic tourists staying in hotels also declined; in 1998 there
\nwere 5,870,833, but in 1999 the number slumped to 4,784,212, a
\ndecrease of 18.5 percent.<\/p>\n
\"The number of tourists decreased because it was said security
\nin Indonesia was unstable,\" Hermawan said. Although West Java is
\nknown as a safe region, tourists are afraid of coming to West
\nJava because they must land in turmoil-filled Jakarta. Some
\nforeign governments even forbade their citizens to visit
\nIndonesia.\"<\/p>\n
But since January 2000 West Java's hotel and restaurant
\nindustries have shown better development. From early last year
\nhotel occupancy, which earlier ranged from 20 percent to 30
\npercent, has risen sharply. Public relations manager of Bandung's
\nPreanger hotel, Dian Zulkarnain, disclosed that since January
\nthis year the hotel's occupancy has consistently been higher than
\n50 percent.<\/p>\n
According to 1999 data from the West Java tourist office,
\nthere are 135 star-rated hotels, with 11,175 rooms and 1,021 non-
\nstar hotels with 21,459 rooms.<\/p>\n
Framework<\/p>\n
Tourist businesses expect that in 2001 West Java's
\nadministration will have a clear framework to develop tourist
\nattractions, or else it will be left behind by other provinces.<\/p>\n
The chairman of West Java's Association of Tourist Travel
\nBureaus, Yachya Machmud, said his group's main complaint was the
\ncentralization of most tourist activities in Bandung.<\/p>\n
\"We have difficulty in promoting other areas beyond Bandung
\ncity except for famous places like Pangandaran. The problem is
\nthe provincial administration lacks enthusiasm in developing its
\nregional potential,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PT Aerowisata's operational and marketing director Toto K.
\nSugiarto, said the centralization of tourist activities in
\nBandung could be a boomerang for businesses.<\/p>\n
\"Visitors coming to Bandung, who only find traffic jams and
\nare incapable of enjoying its beautiful views, will gradually
\nhave no desire to go to Bandung,\" said Toto.<\/p>\n
The lackadaisickal West Java administration must soon improve
\nits tourist attractions outside Bandung if it does not want to
\nlose its fundamental regional income. In 1999 West Java's tourist
\nsector contributed at least Rp 72,065,301,312 to the regional
\ntreasury, which was a decrease of 0.6 percent over the year
\nbefore.<\/p>\n
The province also has to take into account the loss of Banten
\nto autonomy; according to the tourist office, among 1999's most
\nvisited sites, it was first, with more than 2.5 million tourists
\ntaking the sights of old Banten.<\/p>\n
The second and third favorite most visited places were the
\nSari Ater hot springs and Bogor Botanical Gardens, each with 1.1
\nmillion visitors. Pagandaran beach, once very popular in the
\narea, recorded 990,000 visitors, and Tangkuban Perahu had
\n491,000.<\/p>\n
Tourism insiders say the main obstacle to developing the areas
\nis a lack of access to the places of interest.<\/p>\n
For example, development of Rancabuaya, 100 km from Bandung,
\nhas been stalled by a very poor road. This is despite the fact it
\nis near a beautiful area of coastline, its waves are ideal for
\nsurfing and the fast-flowing rivers have potential for rafting
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Yachya said it would not be difficult for West Java's
\nadministration to upgrade and organize its tourist areas because
\nit is a prime source of manpower.<\/p>\n
Another problem is the mismanagement of natural tourist sites.
\nAccording to Hermawan, the general impression of tourists to West
\nJava is that almost all tourist programs are unprofessionally
\nmanaged.<\/p>\n
\"Tourist attractions seem to show up as malnutritiously fed
\nmilch cows because of their managerial incapability, and the
\nlocal administration tends to avoid taking responsibility.\"<\/p>\n
A concrete example is Pangandaran beach, which has lost is
\nformer luster. The shore is dirty, and the glut of vendors
\ndetracts from its beautiful views.<\/p>\n
However, well-organized sites like Subang's Sari Ater hot
\nsprings and Taman Safari continue to attract visitors.<\/p>\n
\"Because of the comfort enjoyed by these visitors, normally
\nthey have a good impression of the attractions, so they have a
\ndesire to come again,\" said Hermawan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/west-java-falls-short-in-tourism-designs-1447893297",
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