Lombok isle slowly stretches to meet tourism boom
Lombok isle slowly stretches to meet tourism boom
By Prapti Widinugraheni
SENGGIGI, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): The tiny island of Lombok,
with its sunny skies, white sandy beaches and swaying palm trees,
is a perfect portrayal of a tranquil, unspoiled tropical
paradise.
However, people are beginning to wonder how long it will take
before Lombok -- said to be a replica of Bali 20 years ago --
catches the contagious "tourism boom" virus from its bustling
neighbor.
"We hope it will take at least three times more than the time
Bali needed to reach its present condition. If Bali required 30
years to reach this stage, hopefully Lombok will take at least
100 years," said West Nusa Tenggara Governor Warsito.
Warsito has a point.
While people cannot help but compare the two neighboring
islands, which only differ slightly in terms of population and
area, Lombok, unlike its artistically rich and culturally
enchanting next-door neighbor, relies almost entirely on its
attractive landscapes, and a bit on its weaving and ceramics arts
and crafts, to lure passing travelers.
This, plus the fact that Lombok consists of a predominant
Moslem society which may help hold off the "negative impacts" of
a booming tourist industry, is perhaps why Warsito is so
optimistic that Lombok will not immediately follow Bali, which
many travelers now consider spoiled by the tourism industry.
According to the local tourism office, the total number of
foreign and domestic travelers visiting the province increased
from 123,294 in 1989 to 247,349 in 1993.
Over this period, the number of foreign tourists alone has
increased by almost 30 percent a year from 56,148 (only 45
percent of the total number of tourists in 1989) to 140,442
(almost 57 percent of the total) in 1993.
Last year the office recorded a total of 279,092 travelers, or
a 12.8 percent increase compared to 1993. From this number, 55
percent were foreigners.
In comparison, the number of foreign travelers that visited
Bali in 1989, according to Bali's immigration office, was 436,358
and has grown by an average of almost 20 percent to 884,206 in
1993.
Lombok's modest record may also be a reflection of the local
government's slow-paced tourism development policy.
Its target to increase the number of travelers by an average
of only 15 to 18 percent to reach 1.9 million to 2 million
travelers in 1998, confirms this notion.
In spite of what seems to be an slow-paced policy for Lombok's
tourism development, local authorities intend to make Lombok, and
the other islands in the West Nusa Tenggara province, a major
tourist destination in the near future.
Head of West Nusa Tenggara's local tourism office, Baharuddin
Anwar, said in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post that one
of the province's targets is to make the area a definite tourist
destination and not only transshipment point for travelers.
"We have already stipulated 15 tourist regions for the
province. Nine regions are on Lombok and include famous spots
such as Senggigi in the west and Kuta in the south of the
island," he said. West Nusa Tenggara comprises Lombok and Sumbawa
and the smaller islands in between.
Monitoring
The regions, he said, will be "professionally" managed to
allow close monitoring and control and to prevent the unwanted
destruction and "negative impacts" of tourism.
Although efforts to develop Lombok's tourism started as early
as the 1980s, a significant boom -- at least in terms of
increased land prices in strategic tourist areas -- was not felt
until the early 1990s.
During that time, wealthy big shots from Jakarta started eying
the region once they recognized its potential tourism capacity.
The Lombok Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) and the Sira
Tourism Development Corporation, both owned by Jakarta tycoons,
were given rights by the local government to conduct land
appropriations for some 600 hectares of land in Senggigi, West
Lombok, and 1,250 hectares in Kuta in the southern part of
Central Lombok.
These areas were set up with basic infrastructure facilities
by the government, and were quickly plotted out by prospective
hoteliers, restaurant developers and shop owners.
According to the province's investment coordinating board, as
of June a total of Rp 1.3 trillion (US$584 million) and $59.8
million has been planned as investments for the tourism industry
since the start of the first Five Year Development program in
1969.
However, only Rp 429.5 billion and $11.7 million, mostly for
hotel and cottage development, has been realized so far.
A handbook on tourism development issued by the local tourism
office reported that a number of projects faced difficulties in
land appropriation procedures, infrastructure facilities and
social problems.
Travel agencies have sprung up, offering tours starting from
short trips to the small islands around Lombok to trekking up the
island's highest point, Mt. Rinjani.
Bing Hamidy, the manager of Bidy Tours, a long-time travel
agency in Lombok, said his agency's aim is to continue boosting
the foreign market since domestic tourists usually opt to use
travel agencies from outside the area.
Until 1992, only 27.65 percent of the agency's clients were
domestic travelers and last year the number dropped to only 21
percent.
Meanwhile, Satriavi Tours & Travel, a subsidiary of the Garuda
Indonesia Group which also relies on foreign clients, is
attempting to widen its domestic market.
The agency's manager, Timmy Hoevenagel, said they get their
clients through Garuda and Satriavi offices overseas and
accommodated 4,425 travelers last year, up from 3,689 in 1993.
Problems
Booming industries are bound to have problems and tourism in
Lombok is no exception.
Land appropriation, hotel development and the "privatization"
of beaches have driven local fishermen and passersby away from
the exclusive areas.
A group of villagers who lived from cultivating seaweed around
Tanjung Aan, in the south of Lombok, were displaced by the LTDC
several years ago when the corporation decided to survey the area
for a tourist site.
The villagers of Gerupuk -- about six kilometers away from
Tanjung Aan -- may soon face a similar fate as signs of
development approach.
Herman Effendi, a native of Gerupuk, said that villagers have
no choice when wealthy land-buyers drive them off the land.
"We will just have to move on. As long as they provide us with
a substitute plot of land where we can continue cultivating
seaweed, there is nothing else we can ask for," he said.
The 400 families in the village, living in poverty with a
serious lack of sanitation facilities, currently harvest 50 tons
of dried seaweed a year, which they sell for Rp 625 to Rp 850 a
kilogram to distributors.
Commenting on the situation, Baharuddin Anwar of the local
tourism office said that regulations are needed from Jakarta to
guarantee that the tourism industry does not neglect the public's
interest.
"People must be allowed to walk along the beaches and hotels
should be built far from the coastline," he said.
Buildings, he said, should be built at a distance of at least
200 meters from the shore and open spaces between hotels and
buildings must also allow public access to the beaches.
"Presently hotels are built only 40 to 50 meters from the
shore. Not only does this ruin the beaches, it also limits the
number of people who can enjoy them. But current regulations
allow this to happen," he said.
"Hopefully the central government will consider these aspects
in designing regional planning guidelines," he said.
By Prapti Widinugraheni
SENGGIGI, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): The tiny island of Lombok,
with its sunny skies, white sandy beaches and swaying palm trees,
is a perfect portrayal of a tranquil, unspoiled tropical
paradise.
However, people are beginning to wonder how long it will take
before Lombok -- said to be a replica of Bali 20 years ago --
catches the contagious "tourism boom" virus from its bustling
neighbor.
"We hope it will take at least three times more than the time
Bali needed to reach its present condition. If Bali required 30
years to reach this stage, hopefully Lombok will take at least
100 years," said West Nusa Tenggara Governor Warsito.
Warsito has a point.
While people cannot help but compare the two neighboring
islands, which only differ slightly in terms of population and
area, Lombok, unlike its artistically rich and culturally
enchanting next-door neighbor, relies almost entirely on its
attractive landscapes, and a bit on its weaving and ceramics arts
and crafts, to lure passing travelers.
This, plus the fact that Lombok consists of a predominant
Moslem society which may help hold off the "negative impacts" of
a booming tourist industry, is perhaps why Warsito is so
optimistic that Lombok will not immediately follow Bali, which
many travelers now consider spoiled by the tourism industry.
According to the local tourism office, the total number of
foreign and domestic travelers visiting the province increased
from 123,294 in 1989 to 247,349 in 1993.
Over this period, the number of foreign tourists alone has
increased by almost 30 percent a year from 56,148 (only 45
percent of the total number of tourists in 1989) to 140,442
(almost 57 percent of the total) in 1993.
Last year the office recorded a total of 279,092 travelers, or
a 12.8 percent increase compared to 1993. From this number, 55
percent were foreigners.
In comparison, the number of foreign travelers that visited
Bali in 1989, according to Bali's immigration office, was 436,358
and has grown by an average of almost 20 percent to 884,206 in
1993.
Lombok's modest record may also be a reflection of the local
government's slow-paced tourism development policy.
Its target to increase the number of travelers by an average
of only 15 to 18 percent to reach 1.9 million to 2 million
travelers in 1998, confirms this notion.
In spite of what seems to be an slow-paced policy for Lombok's
tourism development, local authorities intend to make Lombok, and
the other islands in the West Nusa Tenggara province, a major
tourist destination in the near future.
Head of West Nusa Tenggara's local tourism office, Baharuddin
Anwar, said in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post that one
of the province's targets is to make the area a definite tourist
destination and not only transshipment point for travelers.
"We have already stipulated 15 tourist regions for the
province. Nine regions are on Lombok and include famous spots
such as Senggigi in the west and Kuta in the south of the
island," he said. West Nusa Tenggara comprises Lombok and Sumbawa
and the smaller islands in between.
Monitoring
The regions, he said, will be "professionally" managed to
allow close monitoring and control and to prevent the unwanted
destruction and "negative impacts" of tourism.
Although efforts to develop Lombok's tourism started as early
as the 1980s, a significant boom -- at least in terms of
increased land prices in strategic tourist areas -- was not felt
until the early 1990s.
During that time, wealthy big shots from Jakarta started eying
the region once they recognized its potential tourism capacity.
The Lombok Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) and the Sira
Tourism Development Corporation, both owned by Jakarta tycoons,
were given rights by the local government to conduct land
appropriations for some 600 hectares of land in Senggigi, West
Lombok, and 1,250 hectares in Kuta in the southern part of
Central Lombok.
These areas were set up with basic infrastructure facilities
by the government, and were quickly plotted out by prospective
hoteliers, restaurant developers and shop owners.
According to the province's investment coordinating board, as
of June a total of Rp 1.3 trillion (US$584 million) and $59.8
million has been planned as investments for the tourism industry
since the start of the first Five Year Development program in
1969.
However, only Rp 429.5 billion and $11.7 million, mostly for
hotel and cottage development, has been realized so far.
A handbook on tourism development issued by the local tourism
office reported that a number of projects faced difficulties in
land appropriation procedures, infrastructure facilities and
social problems.
Travel agencies have sprung up, offering tours starting from
short trips to the small islands around Lombok to trekking up the
island's highest point, Mt. Rinjani.
Bing Hamidy, the manager of Bidy Tours, a long-time travel
agency in Lombok, said his agency's aim is to continue boosting
the foreign market since domestic tourists usually opt to use
travel agencies from outside the area.
Until 1992, only 27.65 percent of the agency's clients were
domestic travelers and last year the number dropped to only 21
percent.
Meanwhile, Satriavi Tours & Travel, a subsidiary of the Garuda
Indonesia Group which also relies on foreign clients, is
attempting to widen its domestic market.
The agency's manager, Timmy Hoevenagel, said they get their
clients through Garuda and Satriavi offices overseas and
accommodated 4,425 travelers last year, up from 3,689 in 1993.
Problems
Booming industries are bound to have problems and tourism in
Lombok is no exception.
Land appropriation, hotel development and the "privatization"
of beaches have driven local fishermen and passersby away from
the exclusive areas.
A group of villagers who lived from cultivating seaweed around
Tanjung Aan, in the south of Lombok, were displaced by the LTDC
several years ago when the corporation decided to survey the area
for a tourist site.
The villagers of Gerupuk -- about six kilometers away from
Tanjung Aan -- may soon face a similar fate as signs of
development approach.
Herman Effendi, a native of Gerupuk, said that villagers have
no choice when wealthy land-buyers drive them off the land.
"We will just have to move on. As long as they provide us with
a substitute plot of land where we can continue cultivating
seaweed, there is nothing else we can ask for," he said.
The 400 families in the village, living in poverty with a
serious lack of sanitation facilities, currently harvest 50 tons
of dried seaweed a year, which they sell for Rp 625 to Rp 850 a
kilogram to distributors.
Commenting on the situation, Baharuddin Anwar of the local
tourism office said that regulations are needed from Jakarta to
guarantee that the tourism industry does not neglect the public's
interest.
"People must be allowed to walk along the beaches and hotels
should be built far from the coastline," he said.
Buildings, he said, should be built at a distance of at least
200 meters from the shore and open spaces between hotels and
buildings must also allow public access to the beaches.
"Presently hotels are built only 40 to 50 meters from the
shore. Not only does this ruin the beaches, it also limits the
number of people who can enjoy them. But current regulations
allow this to happen," he said.
"Hopefully the central government will consider these aspects
in designing regional planning guidelines," he said.