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.