Bali Tourism Board has crucial role to play

Bali Tourism Board has crucial role to play

DENPASAR, Bali (Antara): The Bali Tourism Board (BTB) must be
able to play its role as a strategic planner of tourism in Bail,
given the fact that owing to internal and external factors the
survival of the tourist industry in this province is precarious
at present, chairperson of Forum Merah Putih Bali (Balinese Red
and White Forum), a non-governmental organization, I Putu Suasta,
said during the inauguration of BTB recently.

"As a means to bring together the government, the community
and the tourist industry, BTB must concentrate on the upstream
sector to redesign the concept of tourism in Bali so that it will
have greater sustainability," he noted.

The absence of a comprehensive spatial layout concept, based
on Hinduism and the Balinese culture, in the management and
development of tourism in Bali, is a threat to the survival of
the tourist industry in Bali, he said.

Gone are the comfort and security previously inherent in Bali
as one of the main destinations for domestic and overseas
tourists. Now the international community holds a low opinion of
tourism in Bali, he added.

As a consequence, many international travel agencies have
switched their tour destination from Bali to other countries such
as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, he said.

"Obviously, this will jeopardize the tourist industry in Bali,
which is the main money spinner for the majority of the
Balinese," he noted with great concern.

BTB, therefore, must be able to assess and redesign the
development of tourism in Bali to ensure that tourists enjoy
security and comfort when visiting this island. One way is to
ensure investments in infrastructure and facilities for tourism
do not harm the environment and culture, he explained.

The construction of infrastructure such as roads, hotels,
restaurants, ports, terminals and airports to support tourism in
Bali must be assessed and redesigned to conform to the island's
carrying capacity, he said.

"In this way, the image of Bali, which is rich in cultural and
religious values, and natural resources will be put in the
forefront," Suasta said.

Tourism education

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Association of Marine
Tourism Companies (Gahawisri) of Bali, Yos WK Amerta, said BTB
should educate the government, the community and the tourist
industry on how to carry out sustainable development in Bali to
ensure that it remains one of the main tourist destinations
domestically and internationally.

"It is absolutely necessary for all elements in the tourism
sector, namely the government, the community and security forces,
to be sufficiently educated in tourism as only in this way can
tourism be properly managed and developed on a common perception,
vision and mission," he noted.

This education in tourism is important in view of the
increasingly tighter competition in international tourism where
Indonesia, with Bali in particular, which used to be reckoned as
an important tourist destination, now has a poor image.

Therefore, Yos said, it is necessary for the government, the
community and tourism industry to coordinate and cooperate based
on a common understanding, vision and mission to enable the
tourist industry in Bali, in particular, and in Indonesia, in
general, to be revived and able to compete again in the
international tourism mart.