Indonesia puts vision of ecotourism into focus

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Plenty has been said and written about the advantages of tourism for economic benefits, or as a sustainable and nonpolluting industry.

But there is ample evidence that tourist projects which only focus on gaining profits without encouraging local participation are less likely to provide benefits to the local community and safeguard the environment.

The Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications' Directorate General of Tourism has anticipated the negative impacts in its recently published Pariwisata 21 (Tourism in the 21st Century), containing the government's vision and mission on tourism.

The book defines tourism's vision to increase people's welfare and promote peace among nations, and its mission to present a selection of state-of-the-art planning and management approaches.

It defines challenges of improving human resources, marketing, promotion, products, tourist protection, accessibility and boosting small firms involvement in tourism.

"We want this book to become a guideline for those involved in tourism," said Director General of Tourism's secretary, I Gede Ardika, in a recent meeting with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in tourism, mainly ecotourism.

But many environmental activists are still dissatisfied about the mission and vision set by the ministry.

"There are still many things that need to be clarified about the mission and vision," Yuda N. Laman, chairman of the Biological Science Club of Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post.

The club, along with local communities and other groups, manages the ecotourism site of Gunung Halimun National Park in West Java.

He recommended the government disseminate its vision and mission for tourism throughout the nation's bureaucracy to prevent public confusion, such as on the matter of permits for establishing a homestay.

According to the ministry's regulation, he said, there is no need to apply permits, but in reality local administrations often require them.

The book also discloses that the ministry plans to increase the public's participation in tourism in the future.

"Without people's participation, there is no tourist industry," Ardika said.

Ecotourism

People can take part by renting their houses for tourists, becoming guides, or producing and selling handicrafts.

The ministry also plans to promote ecotourism sites.

In last few years, ecotourism has captured the attention of many people through its concept of combining the pleasures of discovering and understanding nature, with an opportunity to contribute to its protection.

Ecotourism is about fulfilling a hunger for nature, exploiting tourism potential for conservation and development, and turning away its negative impact on the ecology, culture and esthetics.

Several studies have revealed why people have numerous motives for paying attention to ecotourism.

Some see it as a means to harness financial resources of tourism for conservation efforts, while others regard it as a savvy marketing strategy to attract upper-end tourists.

Local communities consider ecotourism an effort to save their cultural heritage.

But the ecotourism label has been misused frequently and failed to fulfill its target to protect the environment and teach people to value nature.

Many still consider ecotourism simply visiting a natural tourism destination, without trying to preserve the environment they visit or respecting the traditions and cultural values of local people.

"A key to success in ecotourism is education. Ecotourists need to be taught that an ecotourism site is more than just a traditional tourist facility in a natural setting," said Gatot Sudarto, who chairs the Indonesian Ecotourism Society.

Instead of viewing it from the outside, ecotourists should participate and gain a better awareness, appreciation and understanding of the environment.

Fortunately, ecotourists are less demanding in terms of lodging than other types of tourists, and therefore do not need luxury accommodation, food or nightlife.

Ecotourists are more willing to accept and appreciate local conditions, customs and food because they are seeking the natural and cultural experience.

Unique basic services and infrastructure are still required to make ecotourism a significant economic force and a sought-after activity -- one of the primary advantages of ecotourism is that it provides an impetus to expand both conservation and tourism development.

Unfortunately, it is not clear which government offices have the authority to oversee ecotourism here, a potential drawback.

"At present we can do nothing to prevent those with strong financial power from taking over an ecotourism site already managed by local communities and other groups, such as what will happen in Gunung Halimun," Yuda said.

He said the local community in Gunung Halimun were uneasy as there was a private company which planned to take over part of the ecotourism site.

Again, there are inconsistencies. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, there is no need to apply for a permit from the Ministry of Forestry to manage an ecotourism site, but the latter insists that a permit is necessary.

"Unclear directions make it easier for others to take over our ecotourism site," said Yuda.

There is often the issue of shared mistrust between the business community and conservationists.

Nevertheless ecotourism's concept sounds good. It is an economic model that utilizes tourism to support the conservation of nature, reinforces the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples and supports the local economy.

But poorly managed ecotourism sites can lead to the destruction of these pristine areas and leave local people on the other side of the fence through damaged livelihoods.

Developing an ecotourism facility is a matter of sensitivity and requires numerous approaches, careful planning, strict guidelines and regulations that guarantee sustainable operation.

In planning and developing an ecotourism site, the government, private sector, local communities and NGOs all have an important role to play because no single model will work everywhere.