Bali's dynamics in the shadow of tourism

Bali's dynamics in the shadow of tourism

By I Gde Pitana

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): At present, tourism has touched almost
every corner of the world -- every country and every region --
directly, as well as indirectly.

Bali has had a significant slice of the action. This
environmentally friendly industry, which started in the 1920s,
has become an inseparable part of this idyllic island.

Over the last few decades, tourism has become a generator in
economic development and a prime mover in Bali's sociocultural
changes.

In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that any discussion
of Bali cannot be separated from tourism.
Tourism has now become an integral part of daily life on the
island.

Furthermore, in each discussion on tourism, Bali is always
cited as a case study that cannot be ignored.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Bali increased
gradually from 10,997 in 1968 to 155,597 in 1983
The figures had accelerated to 1,140,988 by 1996.

In 1999, even though Indonesia had not recovered from the
crisis, Bali managed to attract 1,347,794 tourists coming
directly from foreign ports, not including those who traveled to
Bali via another port of entry in Indonesia.

Together with domestic tourists from other areas in the
archipelago, the total number of tourists visiting Bali this year
is predicted to be double the 1999 figure.

On a further note, the average period of foreign visitors has
also increased. In 1984, the average tourist only stayed 5.4
nights, whereas in 1999 this increased to 9.8 nights.

Tourism and economy of Bali

It cannot be denied that tourism is increasingly playing a
central role in the development of the economy of Bali.
During Pelita (the five-year plan) I, II, III, and IV from 1969
to 1989, the priority for Bali's development was placed on the
agricultural sector.

This was in line with the fact that agriculture was the
biggest contributor toward the Gross Domestic Regional Product
(GDRP), even though it was losing its dominance from 61.21
percent at the beginning of Pelita I (1969), to only 36.30
percent at the end of Pelita III (1983).

On the other hand, restaurants and hotels catering to tourists
were becoming more important, ranking second in their
contribution to the GDRP, which had increased from 9.52 percent
at the beginning of Pelita I to 13.9 percent at the end of Pelita
III.

This sector gradually gained importance and became the number
one contributor toward the GDRP of Bali.

In 1995, this sector contributed 30.26 percent of the GDRP,
whereas the agriculture sector contributed only 21.23 percent.
In 1999, tourism, and all its related activities, was estimated
to contribute approximately 51.6 percent to the income of the
Balinese.

In terms of human resources, in 1995, tourism absorbed 34.14
percent of all human resources in Bali. This percentage increased
steadily, reaching 38 percent in 1998.

The rapid growth of tourism has managed to accelerate the
economy of Bali.

This is reflected by the per capita GDRP of Bali, which was Rp
198,500 in 1980, increasing to Rp 2,563,114 in 1995.

This jump was made possible by the tourists who spent a lot of
money while on holiday. A large proportion of this money went to
hotels (29.9 percent), arts, handicrafts and souvenirs (23.6
percent) and restaurants (20.7 percent), with a corresponding
multiplier effect coming into play.

Tourism and the arts and culture

The impact of tourism on the arts is an interesting topic to
discuss in the case of Bali, as the type of tourism developed in
Bali is "cultural tourism".

Cultural tourism implies that culture is used as a basis for
development.

In the development of tourism based on culture, it is expected
that the two walk hand-in-hand in the sense that tourism
development will promote the culture of Bali.

Other countries have reported that tourism has destroyed their
culture.
Nations in the Pacific region, for example, have reported that
tourism has uprooted the community from its original forms of
art, which are the expressions of the their culture to meet the
demands of tourists.

Art brokers who work in tourism have "forced" the people to
change various performing arts to accommodate the tastes of
tourists.

This results in the abrasion and disappearance of traditional
religious arts, which are replaced by touristic arts and
commodity arts.

In other parts of the world, tourism has forced the local
community to become involved in the commercial network, and to be
alienated from their social, cultural and religious roots.

But what about Bali? The arts, particularly music and the
performing arts, are, in fact, one of Bali's main attractions
that has become one of its main imagemakers from the very
beginning of tourism here.

A 1924 brochure promoting Bali that is illustrated with a
dancing girl is proof that the performing arts have been one of
the main imagemakers of Bali.

At the beginning of tourism in Bali, cultural performances
were already the main item used to attract tourists to Bali.

The Legong dance was almost always one of the chief
attractions on a program welcoming tourists who stayed at the
Bali Hotel in the 1920s and 1930s.

This was followed by the creation of various performances to
satisfy the tastes and needs of tourists, such as the Barong
dance, the Kris dance and the Monkey dance.

Although a religious element can still be seen in those
dances, the focus is on the commercial quality of the show.

It cannot be denied that up to a certain level, the culture
and the arts have been turned into commodities and thus it can be
said that tourism has caused a degradation in the quality of the
arts.

Furthermore, the arts have become profane in the sense that
religious art performances are specially performed for tourists.

This has, for example, occurred in the performance of the
Sanghyang dance, the Barong dance, tektekan, telak and wayang
wong.

Nevertheless, many positive influences have emerged because of
tourism in Bali.

There are at least five related areas in which this positive
influence can be noted.

First, tourism has given various forms of art a place and
opportunity for expression.

Several types of performing arts that had almost been
forgotten by the Balinese were revitalized with the development
of tourism. Different forms of art that had vanished were
revived.

Second, tourism has directly spurred the creativity of
Balinese artists. It has promoted many forms of dance and short
performing arts.

A surge in growth was also observed in sculpture.

Directly and indirectly, the creation of various carvings in
the form of trees, fruit, flowers, animals, etc., is closely
related to the development of tourism.

Third, related to the creativity and revitalization, the arts
of Bali have become richer in form in quality as well as
quantity.

Various forms of art appeared side by side with the
traditional ones.

Fourth, tourism has encouraged the Balinese to reflect on
their art as a characteristic of their identity.

This reflection has led them to be proud of their art and
culture.

Fifth, an interesting phenomenon that appeared with the
emergence of tourism and its interaction with the arts is the
harmonious integration between the conservation of culture and
the economic activities of the people.

The points above clearly show that there is a dynamic
interaction between tourism and the arts of Bali.

This reinforces the findings of an American anthropologist,
McKean, who stated more than two decades ago that although a
social and economic change was occurring in Bali, those that
changed joined hands with the efforts to conserve traditional art
and culture.

As a matter of fact, tourism has strengthened the process of
conservation, reformation and the recreation of various
traditions, including the arts.

Tourism has selectively strengthened local traditions through
a process called cultural involution.

Foreign influence in Balinese culture can be said to have
become "an additive" and not a "substitute".

This means that various influences were accepted but not used
to replace the existing culture.
Rather they were used to enrich and develop what already existed.

Foreign influence was not absorbed wholesale.
It was rather filtered in a so-called "Balinization process" so
that it became "genuinely Balinese".

The cultural history of Bali is, in fact, a history of
syncretism, showing a strong ability to survive and adapt in the
winds of change.

A more interesting fact is that the existence of tourism has
given the Balinese the inspiration to think about themselves
critically and to fortify their Balinese identity.

At a certain level, even now, a process of ethnical
crystallization, or in anthropological terms, indigenization, is
taking place. The Balinese are becoming increasingly proud of
themselves as being Balinese.
The income that is generated through tourism is rechanneled to
fertilize and strengthen traditional ties, such as the customs
and religion of those living in Banjar.

In this process, the modern has walked hand-in-hand with the
traditional, internalization with "Balinization".

Thus, it is not true that tourism has uprooted the Balinese
from their culture.