Southern Bandung embarks on promotion of `hidden treasures'
This is the first of two stories on tourism in southern Bandung Regency. The second story will appear tomorrow in the first Sunday edition of The Jakarta Post.
By Rita A. Widiadana
BANDUNG (JP): God smiled when He created Sunda.
This praise extolling the beauty of West Java came from the late M.A.W. Brouwer, a Roman Catholic priest and a well-known newspaper columnist. To the day he died on Aug. 19 1991, Brouwer remained faithful in his love for West Java and more specifically its capital city, Bandung, where he spent nearly 30 years of his life.
Father Brouwer died in the small town of Weert in the southern part of the Netherlands, the land of his birth, unable to spend his remaining days in his beloved Bandung as he had wished.
Brouwer was not exaggerating when he wrote in one of his articles that "God smiled when He created Sunda", and he was not alone in his admiration of this city and its people.
But what makes Bandung so special? The city lacks the attractions of Yogyakarta, with its famous court, rich culture and ancient traditions. And Bandung does not have Bali's all- pervasive artistry or bewitching religious and traditional ceremonies.
Even the grace of its women, famed among Indonesians, could be lost on the traveler in a hurry. Yet, Bandung is often likened to a pretty maiden, adorned with jewels, standing in repose amidst lovely surroundings.
To the north of the city are the popular mountain resorts of Lembang and Maribaya, with their cool air and hot springs. Further to the north and another several hundred meters higher into the clouds is Tangkuban Perahu, the active volcano shaped like an overturned boat, whose boiling crater is the only one in Java where cars can go right up to the rim.
The city itself is attractive in its own right. It was once known as the "Paris of Java" for its colonial charm and city planning which matched its natural surroundings to perfection. Today, Bandung is also home to many historic buildings, including the Asia-Africa building where the first Afro-Asia Conference was held in 1955.
In contrast to the long-standing popularity of its northern parts, not much attention has been paid to the attractions south of Bandung. Although it may not be able to compete with its northern counterparts in terms of tourist facilities, southern Bandung Regency is a pleasant surprise.
When it comes to natural beauty, southern Bandung has plenty to offer even though its attractions may not be readily apparent. Situ (lake) Patengan, Situ Pangalengan, the Kawah Putih crater, tea plantations and more than 1,000 hectares of tropical forests, home to thousands of rare plants and animals, are the main attractions.
Aside from natural beauty, they offer something that Lembang, Maribaya and Tangkuban Perahu can no longer offer during the weekend: peacefulness.
Slow
The question remains, though, to what extent is southern Bandung Regency a desirable holiday spot for local as well as international visitors.
In contrast to the rapid development in the northern part of the city, southern Bandung's tourism industry is growing at a very slow pace.
Nana Suhanda, head of the West Java Tourism Office, told The Jakarta Post that poor infrastructure and inadequate information have made vacation spots in the area relatively unknown to holiday makers.
"What we should do is promote the strong points of each destination without killing each other's attractions," he said.
Admitting that so far efforts have stressed promoting the northern recreational areas, he said it's high time to lure visitors to southern Bandung.
Surachman, from the Bandung Tourism Authority, told the Post that more effort is needed to improve all the tourism infrastructure, such as transportation and communication as well as accommodation.
These, he said, involve the Bandung Regency administration, the state forestry company Perum Perhutani, the state plantation company PT Perkebunan XII and the private sector, including hoteliers and restaurant owners.
Most holiday spots in the southern part of Bandung Regency are forest recreation and preservation areas or tea plantations. Therefore, the holiday spots are managed jointly by the various state companies.
The Kawah Putih crater and the Ranca Upas Forest Recreation areas, for example, are managed by the Perum Perhutani state forestry company. The state run PT Perkebunan XII, which manages commercial crop estates, organizes agro-tourism activities at Rancabali and Malabar tea plantations, while Situ Patengan is jointly managed by the PAPH nature and wildlife conservation agency and the city administration as well as PT Perkebunan XII.
Potential
Though these recreational spots are managed by big companies, the potential for tourism has yet to be developed.
Data from the Bandung Tourism Authority shows that in l993 the number of international visitors to southern Bandung's holiday sites reached only 138,749, while the number of local visitors was only one million.
The Bandung Regency collected Rp 202.5 million from tourism last year. It hopes to see a 20 percent increase in both the number of visitors and annual income from this industry.
"By actively promoting the tourist sites in the area, we expect to meet that target," he said.
At present, information on tourist destinations in southern Bandung is available only on small leaflets which may be hard to find in hotels, travel agencies and other tourist information centers, he said.
Along with the related tourism agencies, the administration will soon release a special tourist guide book on southern Bandung's tourist attractions. The authority is also putting more highlights on the region's tourism map.
He went on to say that a large tourist information center will be built on the present site of the Ciwidey bus station.
The bus station is going to be moved to another location to accommodate larger public transportation vehicles.
Surachman added that the inadequate transportation system is also a serious problem that has prevented visitors from coming to the area.
Currently, there are only a limited number of buses or minibuses serving the routes from Ciwidey to recreation spots such as Situ Patengan and the Kawah Putih crater.
Traffic jams
Traffic jams from downtown Bandung to Ciwidey will soon be alleviated by a new system of highways, he said.
"The provincial administration has finally been convinced to overcome the lingering traffic problems on roads linking Bandung and the tourist sites in Ciwidey and Banjaran areas," he explained.
Surachman said, however, that it will require huge amounts of money to implement the plan. The government only allocated Rp 100 million ($50,000) for Bandung tourism in l994.
To cope with financial difficulties, the government has invited the private sector to take part in the development of the tourist facilities.
A number of hoteliers have already responded.
The Sindang Reret group, for instance, plans to develop a resort facility including hotel, motel and restaurants adjacent to the area's tourist spots.
Today, only three unrated hotels and a number of small motels and villas are operating in southern Bandung compared to more than 10 newly constructed rated hotels in the northern part of the city.
Hermawan, chairman of the West Java's branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said that southern Bandung has the potential to be developed as profitable tourist spot.
"Many investors have their eye on the potential tourist sites in this area," he said.
The provincial administration is also undertaking several measures to promote tourism in the area. Businessmen, for example, will benefit from the easing of licensing procedures.
Awareness
Because the future of southern Bandung as a tourist destination seems imminent a number of environmental groups have expressed their concern over the planned development projects.
Indro Cahyono of SKEPHI, the Indonesian NGO network for forest conservation, told the Post environmental protection should be made a priority as the region prepares for more tourist arrivals.
"Although serious campaigns are currently underway to promote tourism in this part of the province, environmental awareness must also be a priority," Cahyono said.
The southern Bandung region, which boasts both recreation and conservation forests as well as tea plantations, functions as an important water catchment area for the city of Bandung.
Only 629 hectares of green area are left in the city, or four percent of the total city area of 17,000 hectares. This has affected the city's climate and water reserves. Ideally, with its population of more than three million, Bandung should maintain ten percent of its area for open and green spaces, he said.
According to Cahyono the development of the forest recreation sites in southern Bandung would also negatively influence the city's environment.
"It will take time for the business sector to realize their importance and to actively care for the environment. The business sector, however, should learn to foresee the possible dangers if we ignore forest protection," he added.
The development of forest recreation sites may have a negative impact on the forests, especially primary forests.
Deforestation, water and air pollution, and decreasing numbers of a forest's genetic resources are among the serious problems that usually result from such development, he said.
Cahyono said that the management of most forest recreation sites is poor at present. There are no clear and strict regulations governing these sites.
He suggested that the government and related business sectors implement comprehensive feasibility studies, including an appropriate environmental impact assessment, before starting any such projects.
"We should not exploit our natural resources and cultural heritage for the sake of the economy. Our first duty is to preserve these options in order to develop a sustainable tourism industry in this country," he said.