Can Bandung be a trip down memory lane?

Can Bandung be a trip down memory lane?

BANDUNG (JP): Far removed from the crowded tourist haunts of
Bali and Jakarta, the provincial capital of West Java attracts
its own unique type of tourists.

It's not what is sparkling and new about Indonesia that draws
them to the city cradled in a ring of mountains, but rather the
historical legacy which lives on along Bandung's streets.

For Dutch visitors, whose forefathers once ran tea plantations
in the fertile hills of West Java and made Bandung a military
stronghold to crush insurrections in the rest of the island, it's
a chance to take a trip down memory lane.

"I often meet people whose grandparents once lived here and
they've come here because of that," said operations manager of
the Bandung Society for Heritage Conservation Andi Abubakar.

"Only recently there was a Dutchman who stopped by whose
grandfather had been a postman here. He asked me to accompany him
to see where the old post office used to be."

Tourists take in the sights, from the jaded elegance of the
Savoy Homann on Jl. Asia-Afrika, itself occupying a prominent
place in history as the site of the 1955 Asia-Africa conference
of developing nations, to the nearby boulevard Jl. Braga, once
the bustling hub of Dutch social and commercial activities.

Many remnants of "tropical art deco" architecture, unique to
Bandung and Miami in Florida, have escaped the wrecker's ball,
thanks in large part to the efforts of the historical society.
Other cultural influences also exist in the city's architecture,
said Bandung Institute of Technology professor Dibyo Hartono.

"It's not only western, but also the Chinese, Hindu and
Islamic aspects which preceded the Dutch," said Dibyo, one of the
founders of the historical society.

"The architecture is part of our identity and that is why we
need to preserve it. If it's gone, what is there to show that we
were once colonized?"

Andi said the potential was "very high" to exploit Bandung's
historical value to bring in more tourists -- and it was also one
of the ways to win over the public to the need to preserve old
buildings.

"One of the things we are doing is increasing public awareness
about the culture and architecture," he said. "When people and
the local government realize the economic potential for them,
then they will act to save them."

"A few years ago there were a lot of tourists, especially
Europeans, who came to Bandung, but not anymore," said Anjar,
former marketing manager at the Savoy Homann and now the director
of personnel.

"We still have some tourists, mostly from the Netherlands and
England, who come here just to see the architecture, or are
staying at another hotel but stop by to have a meal."

She said the hotel, whose famous guests included Charlie
Chaplin and Mary Pickford in the 1920s and 1930s, was not
focusing as much on "nostalgia tourism" and looking instead to
the market of domestic business travelers.

"We have many Indonesian businessmen staying with us today.
The problem is that Bandung has never had any riots, but it
doesn't stand alone. It's always connected to what is happening
in Jakarta and other cities."

Andi hoped the local government would recognize the potential
to be gained from the promotion of historical sites to
international and domestic tourists.

He recognized that the bid to preserve historical legacies
often put proponents at odds with those advocating rapid
development. It then becomes a matter of finding a middle ground,
where the concerns of both preservationists and businesses are
accommodated.

He added that the society often played the business card in
its dealing with the local administration on preserving old
buildings.

"We cannot separate our activities from business and tourism.
We need to educate them about the huge potential there is for
this sector."

Up to now the historical society has found that the most
effective way to save a building set to be condemned was to send
a letter to the editor of the local paper. "It leaves the local
administration frantic when they read them," Andi said.

In the future, however, if the plans to make nostalgia tourism
big business are realized, then the public itself may become
aware of the economic cost of demolishing one of the gems of
yesteryear. The value of a site is that much greater when people
recognize that it is one of the attractions which draws visitors
to their area, supporting a whole range of businesses, from
hotels to restaurants and transportation.

The historical society, founded in 1987 by a group of
concerned local citizens such as Dibyo and astronomer Bambang
Hidayat, plans exhibitions and other cultural events on
preservation issues. It also produces a newsletter detailing its
activities, which are funded by donations.

Nostalgia tours

The historical society has also worked with corporate sponsors
such as American Express to promote nostalgia tours of the city.

The efforts include producing a booklet on city tours,
exploring such areas as the central business and garden
districts. There is also a walking tour brochure for "Bandung
Lautan Api", identifying major sites around the city which were
spared when the city's residents set fire to their homes and
belongings in 1946 in an attempt to stop the return of the Dutch.

Andi said much more was needed to be done.

"We are nowhere near the point of optimally maximizing our
historical sites for tourism. Our infrastructure, such as guides,
is still very poor."

He added that local travel agencies had yet to put together
tourist packages focusing on the historical treasures of the
city.

"Actually, there is the potential for more walking tours, but
there are problems. We have good weather, but some of the
sidewalks are in a bad state. And the buildings are either in
private or government hands, which often means that people have
to get permission before they can take a look inside."

A local travel agent said nostalgia tours would not be
successful if packaged alone.

"The way I see it is that the number (of nostalgia tourists)
get smaller every day ... but, yes, a tour of architectural would
probably work if packaged with attractive dances, music and
cultural aspects in one," said Golden Rama Bandung branch manager
Anton Handoyo, whose office is located on the famed Jl. Braga.

He planned to visit Bali in late November to try to sell such
cultural packages directly to tourists upon their arrival at the
airport.

Andi said it was up to all parties -- the local government,
the public, non-governmental organizations and the business
community -- to work together in promoting the sector.

"Obviously, we cannot go it alone in this. Our tactic is to
work on the economic potential first, and then translate it to
the building. And we cannot attack the local government, but must
work alongside it for our goals."

He also expected that historic sites would one day be a
holiday attraction for a new generation of local tourists.

"For my generation, there is not the bitter feelings about
some of the colonial buildings. They might have been planned by
the Dutch, but the buildings were built by my ancestors." (brc)