Conservation awareness essential for tourism

Conservation awareness essential for tourism

Observation of International Tourism Day on October 27 is encouraging the development of the tourism sector to better promote the country as a holiday destination.

Unfortunately, this international event is yet to be coupled with concrete efforts to conserve tourist sites, many of which are in a poor state.

The Jakarta Post reporter Indra Harsaputra has taken a closer look at tourism in East Java.

In his address at a ceremony to mark International Tourism Day in Surabaya, East Java, State Minister of Tourism and Culture I Gde Ardika reminded all relevant parties to continue invigorating the country's tourism sector through various events -- such as tourism exhibitions -- to ensure the development of tourism as one of the country's prime industrial undertakings.

Earlier, on October 17, 2002, President Megawati, in her address, while declaring the year 2002 Ecotourism Year at Merapi- Merbabu National Park, Selo, Boyolali, Central Java, expressed a similar hope.

Natural disasters

Just a few days after the President's visit to the park, an accident occurred at a natural bathing pool in Padusan Pacet, killing dozens of children and adults.

The accident at the bathing pool, which is about 80 kilometers from Surabaya and about 800 m above sea level, led to the temporary closure of similar tourist spots.

Several years later, Mount Bromo in East Java erupted, killing two people. For several weeks afterward, the area was closed to tourists. Volcanology authorities in the vicinity of the mountain closed areas within 1 km of the core zone of Bromo-Semeru.

The authorities also temporarily declared Mount Ijen -- which had showed signs of volcanic activity -- closed to tourists.

Natural or manmade?

Regardless of who is named responsible for accidents at tourist spots, Indonesia is vulnerable to natural disasters, such as landslides and volcanic eruptions.

Since 1999, 14 sedimentation-caused natural disasters have been reported, for example, a landslide in Padang, West Sumatra, the flow of lava from a volcanic eruption in Yogyakarta, flooding on Nias island, North Sumatra, a landslide in Kebumen, Central Java and a landslide coupled with flooding in Baharok River in Bukit Lawang tourist park, North Sumatra.

These disasters have been blamed on the widespread exploitation of natural resources, such as logging activities. The Padusan Pacet tragedy is a good example of how the imbalance in nature caused by man can lead to disaster.

Impact on tourism

Tragedies at tourist spots in East Java, and elsewhere, may deter people from visiting them. The question is, are Indonesia's natural tourist sites safe?

Danu Oktora, a student of the Surabaya Academy of Journalism (AWS), for example, said he would not visit mountainous areas for the time being, and preferred other holiday destinations. "It's safer to go to a shopping mall than to a mountainous area. Many areas have been deforested and, of course, the risk is great if you visit these places," he said.

Following the eruption of Bromo, the East Java chapter of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (IHRA) showed that local tours in East Java had dropped by 5 percent. Several hotels were empty because only a few tourists were interested in visiting Bromo.

The drop in the number of local tourists also adversely affected the hospitality industry, tourist guides, car rental services, public transportation and vendors selling tickets to enter tourist spots.

Following the Pacet tragedy, the number of tourists there also dropped sharply. Hotels in the area reported a drop in their earnings, some food sellers went bankrupt.

Lack of official support

Unfortunately, local administrations have yet to do anything to make these spots decent places for tourists. Some of them are very dirty, foul-smelling and littered with garbage.

Besides, the appropriate support facilities have not been provided. At Bromo camp site, for example, public toilets are very dirty. There is graffiti on the walls and a foul smell emanates from the toilets.

According to Totok Noerdianto, director of Yayasan Mitra Alam Indonesia (YMAI), the worsening condition of these tourist spots is evidence that the government has not introduced an integrated program for maintaining nature conservation areas. The government does not yet appear to be aware of the importance of the environment.

"The government still uses economic considerations and therefore exploits nature without heeding its environment," he noted.

He said that the main hurdle in maintaining environmental conservation at tourist spots was the economic status of the people in these areas. In its attempt to empower the locals to care for the environment, the government often hits a snag related to the poor economic state of local people.

Take, the area around Mount Bromo, for example. Almost 90 percent of the locals earn a living by selling products and services in this area. Generally, they earn Rp 400,000 to Rp 3.5 million per month. Those on lower earnings usually sell snacks while those earning more usually rent cars or run cafes.

Totok, who has also founded Mentigen Sunrise Camp, said he had introduced the significance of environmental conservation to the local Tengger people, the tourist guides and food and drink vendors, as well as those renting horses and cars.

These people, he added, were also taught some knowledge about search-and-rescue operations, especially rescuing mountain climbers and missing persons.

During the 2001/2002 season Mentigen Sunrise Camp changed its name to Art Pala. Thanks to its continuous efforts, locals were persuaded to reforest the Bromo-Semeru area.

Need for intervention

Unfortunately, after car rental businessmen from Probolinggo complained that visitors from there would have to travel a long distance to get to Bromo crater and forced their cars into the Bromo area, owners of rented cars from Cemorolawang took their cars into the area as well.

Efforts to maintain the ecosystem in Bromo, Toto noted, would depend on how the local administration arranged tours to Bromo in ways that benefited the locals economically.

For instance, the volcanic cave in Watukuto, which is located not far from the Bromo-Semeru area, could be developed into a tourist attraction.

In addition, he said, the local administration must issue a special bylaw on tourist spots and impose serious sanctions on anybody damaging the environment. Then, it must also devise a program for the future of tourism in East Java. The province's tourist assets, for example, must not be tapped only for transient purposes.

If the local administration finds it too difficult to handle this matter, it can cooperate with private enterprises and organizations. If tourist spots are properly managed, the income of locals will also improve.

To be able to implement an ecotourism program, he said, the government must provide ecotourism activists and relevant non- governmental organizations with sufficient knowledge about ecotourism management.

In addition, the government must also provide environment- oriented education for the public, tourists, the locals in ecotourism destination areas, ecotourism activists, ecotourism management and non-governmental organizations.

Raising awareness

Given this situation in the country's ecotourism sector, it is interesting to see what the government has done.

Head of East Java's provincial tourism service, Harun, said that the main obstacle in East Java, in connection with promoting ecotourism without ignoring the locals' economic situation, was the lack of awareness of the importance of nature conservation.

Many people, for example, do not throw their rubbish in garbage bins. At some tourist spots, for example, the local administration prohibits the dropping of litter but this generally goes unheeded.

"Even if a fine is imposed, it won't help much because the public does not have any awareness about this matter," he noted.

He said, however, one effective measure to foster this awareness would be to provide counseling to the public about the need for conserving nature.

Promotion and cooperation

In East Java, the provincial tourism service undertakes this information drive by popularizing this idea with the locals living close to tourist spots. The local administration has set aside Rp 100 million for each tourist location.

Within a year, four tourist spots will be covered under this program.

"The popularization of nature conservation is quite fruitful. Locals are now aware of the need to conserve nature," he noted.

Besides promoting the tourism industry in East Java, the local administration, the private sector and the public must be supportive of ecotourism.

The provincial East Java administration, for example, has established cooperation with PT Indosat for an East Java tourism information service. This information, which covers hotels, tourist sites, cafes and restaurants, as well as railway and flight schedules, will be available to subscribers to Mentari, IM3 and Matrix by sending a text message to the number 5777.