Deputy Regent Eyes Potential for Running Events in Tabanan's Tourist Areas

Tabanan (ANTARA) - Deputy Regent of Tabanan I Made Dirga is targeting the potential of various tourist areas in Tabanan to become locations for the increasingly popular sport of running. “There’s Tanah Lot, Yeh Gangga, Soka, Ulun Danu — all of these are possible,” he said during the Bali Tourism Run event in Jatiluwih, Bali, on Sunday. The Bali Tourism Run, held as part of the 100 Years of Bali Tourism celebrations in Jatiluwih, is, according to him, an example of promoting Tabanan tourism through the potential of existing tourist areas. “This is an extraordinary idea for the future. It is already exceptionally good, even though it hasn’t reached its full potential yet,” he remarked. Building on this inaugural fun run, the Tabanan Regency Government hopes that other tourist areas will subsequently design more maximised events. The economic impact on communities in these tourist areas is expected to be substantial, as seen in Jatiluwih where locally owned accommodations reached 100 percent occupancy, subsequently benefiting restaurants, food stalls, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) in the village. “The impact is tremendous because the gathering point is in Tabanan. Many people who come here will certainly spend extra on shopping or accommodation, it’s already outstanding,” Dirga said. However, he stressed that development cannot be carried out haphazardly. In Jatiluwih, for instance, the limited number of accommodations does not mean businesses can build on the rice fields. “Jatiluwih is a World Cultural Heritage site where we cannot build carelessly. Where the scenery is beautiful, we cannot build; we must know where it is permitted and where it is not. The government is still calculating this as well,” said the Deputy Regent of Tabanan.