Tourism, a spoiled child

Tourism, a spoiled child

From Bali Post

One day while my family and I were waiting for a bus at the Ubung terminal in Denpasar, Bali, to take us home, I was hit by a foreign tourist. Of course, I was taken by surprise and was about to hit back, but the crowd stopped me. They advised me "not to retaliate as a tourist deserves to be respected so as not to hurt tourism in Bali".

When the local government tried to clear out the slums, tourism was considered above all other aspects and extra care was taken in that respect.

Furthermore, all roads leading to tourist destinations and areas of interest are well-maintained. On the beaches, decks have been built to ensure that tourists can enjoy themselves safely without fear of any possible mishaps.

Things once considered sacred are offered to tourists, while the Balinese community was asked to organize various contests to support tourism. In a nutshell, everything is directed to benefit tourism.

Then high-powered bombs exploded in Legian, Kuta, on Oct. 12. Who could remain calm and unmoved by this incredible crime? No sooner had I heard about this tragedy than I wondered who the perpetrators were and strongly condemned their actions.

Two months have passed since the blasts and the police have succeeded in arresting the culprits. At the same time our emotions have begun to settle as well. Our conscience says that tourism is not everything. The tourism enthusiasts seem to have woken up and realized the real identity of Bali is its agriculture.

I value tourism as a distorted culture that has led us to the "Bali crisis". How much of Bali's income is derived from tourism? Could somebody please calculate it and balance its worth against the degradation of natural resources and Bali's culture?

Businesses relying on tourism have slowed down, and some workers have been laid off. I would like you all to know that many of us are structurally poor, living close to the forest, and work exhaustively on our land. Who cares?

But these marginalized people are blamed for floods and accused of destroying the forests. What have these innocent people received from the more fortunate blue-collar earners, who have made tourism their number one business?

Let's close our eyes and think for a moment before another much, much more powerful bomb explodes and destroys Bali.

Everyone should wake up and think of Bali as a whole. Don't get carried away by tourism, and take it to an extreme. Let us live a simple life; preserve what our ancestors have bequeathed to us -- the water, forests and land. Do not exploit our resources; preserve them for future generations.

NYOMAN SILANAWA

Denpasar, Bali