Tourism villages offer an alternative way

Tourism villages offer an alternative way

By Tri Budhi Sastrio

DENPASAR, Bali (JP):Tourism villages have become popular a
alternative of conventional tourism.

The tourism village concept, which was developed as another
form of rural tourism or agrotourism, brings to mind an obvious
vision and mission, as a remedy for many weaknesses which so far
have been felt away from normal tourism destination.

The government, in this case the State Ministry of Tourism and
Arts, designed a tourism development alternative in Bali, usually
mentioned as an Integrated Tourism Village.

A consultancy team from the University of Gajah Mada,
Yogyakarta, and Udayana University, Denpasar, defined the tourism
village as followed:

A rural area with its whole atmosphere reflecting an original
Bali village, either from spatiality, architecture or the pattern
of sociocultural life of the community, which is able to provide
the main needs of tourists, such as accommodation, food and
beverages, souvenirs and tourism attractions.

With this definition, the tourism village would be a small
self-contained area where tourists could directly interact with
the local community and learn its way of life.

The tourism village would provide accommodation which
maintains the Balinese style and atmosphere, but fulfills the
minimum standard of accommodation from the perspective of health
and sanitation.

This could be done by modifying and renovating houses of local
people. The tourism village would also be expected to involve the
local community in providing the tourists with food and
beverages, provided that they are hygienic.

This type of holiday package also offers a rare opportunity to
enjoy and observe rural life in the island's villages which are
rich in tradition and culture.

The development of this tourism-village concept, if
successful, will benefit both the tourism industry and the local
community. And at the same time, it could also help preserve
local traditions and culture. It is also regarded as a way to
reach an even distribution of tourism development in Bali.

Yet, this concept is also seen a sensitive alternative because
inappropriate planning and mismanagement could cause negative
consequences for desa adat (traditional villages).

Tourism in Bali should be framed by the principle and balance
of distribution as a result of development, either by even
distribution among groups (vertical distribution) or distribution
among regions (spatial distribution).

In fact, tourism development in Bali is concentrated only in
two regencies and one municipality: Badung, Gianyar and Denpasar.

Another principle that should be followed is one of being
beneficial for the local community. They should get priority to
enjoy the fruits of development.

Hotels, especially large ones like those in the Nusa Dua
resort area, have already proved that they give economic benefits
to government, and also lift local economic growth.

But, the benefits received by the local community are still in
question, because major investments for development usually come
from foreign investors, so the major part of the profits are
taken off the island.

In many cases, tourism development has caused many locals
(farmers) to feel removed and alienated because they were forced
to sell their land to investors.

These farmers actually got a very small amount of money. To
make matters worse, they do not have skills to manage the money
and to find employment outside the agriculture sector.

If this phenomenon continues at its current pace, a lot of
farmers will likely have to give up their land and be unemployed.

The type of tourism which is now developed in Bali is Cultural
Tourism, meaning Balinese culture, which has its roots in
Hinduism. This culture is also based on many traditional
institutions in Bali, especially desa adat and their banjar
(community groups).

One government regulation stipulates that the development of
the local culture, in which desa adat is the main supporter,
should receive serious attention.

In reality, many traditional institutions only took part in
tourism development to gain the benefits received by desa adat
and subak (traditional agricultural community), which were still
very limited. Leaders of desa adat outside tourist destinations
very often felt like milk cows.

One desa adat leader said that most tourists spend their
nights at star-rated hotels (owned by foreigners), then they
explore inland Bali on tours usually managed by travel agents.
They bring with them snacks and soft drinks wrapped neatly in
plastic bags.

The leader said the tourists enjoy the beautiful rural
scenery, rice fields and exotic Balinese culture or many ritual
ceremonies held by desa adat.

After finishing their tour and taking pictures, the leader
said, these tourists leave to have lunch at their luxury hotels.

"So, what does desa adat get from this type of tourism? It
only becomes a transitory object and provider of tourist
attractions. And ... heaps of plastic bags and soft drink cans,"
said the leader.

Bali's tourism industry is based on the local culture,
therefore, the preservation of Bali's culture is a must if the
tourism industry wants to develop in a sustainable way.

Then, because desa adat and subak are the pillars of Bali's
culture, the preservation of Bali's culture can be maintained if,
and only if, the existent of desa adat and subak are protected as
well.

Therefore, the effort must be made to give local communities a
chance to participate in all tourism development activities in
order to gain economic benefits.

From the perspective of tourism development, the
implementation of having tourism villages is regarded as an
effort to open new markets and an attractive solution to the now
saturated conventional tourism concept.

* The writer is a graduate student at the University of Udayana.