Bali's tourism industry destroying itself
Nyoman Suwela, Singaraja, Bali
It is an undeniable fact that Bali's economy relies on tourism. The former director of Bali's tourist authority, Gde Pitana, once said that tourism is the bread for Bali. Furthermore, he said that tourism is not an ultimate goal but a means to achieve the goal that is primarily the welfare of Balinese and Indonesians, in general.
The local government, since the outset, has fully realized that the main tourist attractions for Bali are its unique culture tailored by its natural scenic beauties. Heated arguments came up in seminars and discussions; either among private groups or government agencies.
The topic was how Bali could sustain its tourist sector in the future. They argued that Bali's tourist development must be thoroughly planned and tightly regulated. A reputable consultant, Sceto from France, was invited to Bali to formulate an appropriate master plan for tourism. After a long survey and much discussion, a concept of Bali's tourism master plan was submitted to the provincial administration. It is popularly called "Bali's Tourism Development Master Plan".
The consultant considered that one of the main tourist attractions, Bali's unique culture, must be preserved and shielded from an influx of negative tourist influences. The solution proposed was to minimize the direct contact between tourists and local people. It was proposed that several tourist resorts, be designated areas assigned for the provision of tourist facilities including hotels and restaurants. It was forecast that tourist arrivals would keep increasing every year. Among the designated tourist resorts were: Kuta, Sanur, Ubud and Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua was especially developed by the government as a new, well-planned tourist resort different from Kuta, which has been developing without a proper plan for decades.
Even though Nusa Dua's development and regulation are several years behind schedule, it is acknowledged as being successful. It has also been used as model for tourism development in many other areas in Indonesia and overseas. On paper, the plan was great, in reality, it was a different matter. The fact is the governor of Bali has granted an official permit for a power plant, known as PLTGU, to be built in the Kalibukbuk tourist area, which was supposed to be designated for development of tourist facilities.
This designation means that the development of industry is prohibited. The outcries of those involved in the tourist business of the area were unheeded by both the regency and provincial authorities. If the authority that is supposed to enforce the rule breaches it themselves, who is expected to honor the regulations?
It is no exaggeration to say that Bali's tourism was booming until the unexpected tragedy of the 2002 Bali bombing in Kuta's most popular entertainment area. For the Balinese, it was a nightmare. Nobody could have imagined that such a tragedy would happen on Bali, especially since the Balinese are known for friendly attitudes and tolerance of other's nationality, ethnicity, color or belief.
The ramifications of that tragedy echoed all over the world. The tiny island in Indonesia's archipelago had to suffer, not only economically but psychologically as well. The tragedy has left a deep scar on the Balinese and it could take a very long time to forget. The sympathies that came pouring into Bali from all over the world were beyond anybody's imagination, which convinced everyone that tourism would eventually get back to normal.
As time has gone by, reality tells a different story. In the process of recovering, the central government in Jakarta issued a new regulation concerning international visas and revoked the policy of no cost, 60-day visa-upon-entry for a large number of nationalities. The new policy, widely known as, the visa-on- arrival was granted to handful of countries at a set cost (US$25) and a maximum continuous stay of just 30 days. What possible reason could have led to the government's decision to limit the time during which tourists can financially contribute to Bali? Some tourists simply shorten their vacation time on Bali and move on to other Asian resorts. In this situation for Bali's tourism sector, it was tantamount to rubbing salt into the wound.
At present, the realities show that many tourist-related businesses are hardly surviving, and several have gone bankrupt. For example, many hotels, restaurants, money changers and art shops in the Kalibukbuk/Lovina Tourist Resort have closed due to the lack of tourists.
Who should be blamed? Let's call a spade a spade.
A tourism expert once said, "tourism destroys tourism". It sounds bizarre, but it may now be happening in Bali. It was recently reported in The Jakarta Post that the beaches of southern Bali had been heavily polluted. The pollution was partly due the waste thrown into the sea from local businesses in areas without proper treatment. The concrete jetties built along Candidasa beach resort in eastern Bali is just simply an eyesore.
On the northern part, along the Kalibukbuk beach resort, hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities have been built right on the sand, which resulted in the disappearance of beach sediment ... The floodplain of the river has been filled to pave the way for new development resulting in constriction of the river. This then causes annual flooding during Bali's rainy season.
Most of these uncontrolled development projects have been perpetrated by those who are involved in the tourist trade. The concept of sustainable development has never occurred to them. This short-term way of thinking has been destroying the future of Bali's tourism.
The writer owns a hotel in Bali.