Bali's tourism industry destroys itself

Bali's tourism industry destroys 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.