Tourism tales from Bali: Growth and

sustainability
Bali is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, lush green rice terraces and traditional Hindu culture.
Attracted by this global reputation, Bali has long been a tourism hotspot, pulling in 3 million
holidaymakers in 2012.

However, striking the balance between economic growth and sustainable development is proving to be
a serious challenge for the Balinese regional government.

Tourism is big business in Indonesia. Over 8 million tourists visited in 2012. The latest figures
published in an OECD report show that the average expenditure per person is US$1,118, with an
average stay of just over one week. This is big money when you consider that over 100 million
Indonesians still scrape by on just $2 a day.

Tourism contributes 4.1 percent to Indonesia's GDP and employs 6.9 percent of the workforce.
Tourism provides much needed jobs and growth, and is therefore strongly encouraged by the Balinese
and national government.

Pariwisata berkontribusi 4,1 persen terhadap PDB Indonesia dan

mempekerjakan 6,9 persen dari angkatan kerja. Pariwisata menyediakan
lapangan kerja dan pertumbuhan yang sangat dibutuhkan, dan karenanya
sangat dianjurkan oleh pemerintah Bali dan nasional.

Pariwisata berkontribusi 4,1 persen terhadap GDP dan menyediakan lapangan kerja yang dibutuhkan:
Tourism contributes 4.1 percent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and
provides needed employment

GDP: is one of the important indicators to measure the economic

condition of a country.

The Indonesian government has gone to great lengths to push the Indonesian tourism industry forward.
It features as one of the future key drivers of national economic growth, as laid out in the
government's MP3EI economic master plan, which seeks to propel Indonesia into the top ten
global economies by 2025. The government also has a standalone Ministry of Tourism and Creative
Economy, with a fulltime sitting minister. Multiple national and local agencies have been setup to
promote tourism and draw in holidaymakers.

Pemerintah Indonesia telah berusaha keras untuk mendorong industri

pariwisata Indonesia ke depan. Ini fitur sebagai salah satu pendorong
utama masa depan pertumbuhan ekonomi nasional, sebagaimana tercantum
dalam rencana induk ekonomi MP3EI pemerintah, yang berusaha untuk
mendorong Indonesia ke dalam sepuluh ekonomi global teratas pada
tahun 2025. Pemerintah juga memiliki Kementerian mandiri Pariwisata
dan Ekonomi Kreatif, dengan menteri pendudukan penuh waktu. Beberapa
lembaga nasional dan lokal telah dibentuk untuk mempromosikan
pariwisata dan menarik wisatawan.

Master Plan Percepatan dan Perluasan Pembangunan Ekonomi

Indonesia / Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of
Indonesia's Economic Development
Pemerintah mendorong Indonesia dalam 10 ekonomi global teratas tahun
2025, salah satu factor pendorongnya adalah pariwisata : The
government encourages Indonesia in the top 10 global economies by
2025, one of the driving factors is tourism.

Indonesia's national tourism office promotes 'Wonderful Indonesia' around the world,
through international promotional fairs and a global advertising campaign. Local regions, such as Bali,
also run their own organizations. The Tourism Information Center, based in Bali, promotes provincial
tourism, such as Bali's local tourism industry as well as an array of other provinces. Bali and the
rest of Indonesia are pushing ahead in the hope of even greater success.

Kantor pariwisata nasional Indonesia mempromosikan '' Indonesia Indah

'di seluruh dunia, melalui pameran promosi internasional dan kampanye
iklan global. Daerah setempat, seperti Bali, juga menjalankan
organisasi mereka sendiri. Pusat Informasi Pariwisata, yang berbasis
di Bali, mempromosikan pariwisata provinsi, seperti industri
pariwisata lokal Bali serta sejumlah provinsi lainnya. Bali dan
daerah-daerah lain di Indonesia terus maju dengan harapan akan
keberhasilan yang lebih besar.

Kementrian pariwisata giat dalam mempromosikan pariwisata di

Indonesia. Bali dan provinsi lainya terus meningkatkan kemampuan
mereka dalam menyediakan pariwiwsata yang menarik, aman serta nyaman.
The Ministry of Tourism is active in promoting tourism in Indonesia.
Bali and other provinces continue to improve their ability to provide
attractive, safe and comfortable tourism.

Beyond the gleaming hotels and crystal waters however there is a dark side to this economic prosperity.
Bali is becoming increasingly commercialized. Large areas of previously pristine rice paddies are being
concreted over to make way for new construction and development. This is threatening what makes
Bali so special; it's beautiful environment and traditional culture.

Di luar hotel berkilau dan perairan kristal, ada sisi gelap dari
kemakmuran ekonomi ini. Bali menjadi semakin dikomersialkan. Sejumlah
besar sawah yang sebelumnya masih asli sedang dibeton untuk membuat
jalan bagi pembangunan dan pengembangan baru. Ini mengancam apa yang
membuat Bali begitu istimewa; itu lingkungan yang indah dan budaya
tradisional.
Dibalik kemakmuran enomi akibat pariwisata, lingkungan dan budaya bali mulai terancam. Khusunya
lingkungan bali yang mulai terancam carry capacitynya. Jika semua lahan dan budaya dikomesilkan,
maka lambat laun bali akan kehilangan jati dirinya, bahkan akan kehilangan pariwisatanya. Behind
Enomi's prosperity due to tourism, Bali's environment and culture are
being threatened. Especially the Balinese environment that is
starting to be threatened with its carrying capacity. If all the land
and culture are converted, Bali will gradually lose its identity, and
even lose its tourism.

Ironically, by embracing tourism and making way for new development, Bali may push away the very
tourists it hopes to attract. The crowded and congested destination of Kuta is a stark example of what
can happen if development is allowed to go unchecked: Large-scale urbanization, international fast
food franchises and booming western dance music simultaneously coming out of an array of bars and
clubs.

Ironisnya, dengan merangkul pariwisata dan memberi jalan bagi

pengembangan baru, Bali mungkin mendorong wisatawan yang sangat
berharap untuk menarik. Destinasi Kuta yang ramai dan padat adalah
contoh nyata tentang apa yang bisa terjadi jika pembangunan dibiarkan
tidak terkendali: Urbanisasi skala besar, waralaba makanan cepat saji
internasional, dan musik dance barat yang booming secara bersamaan
keluar dari bar dan klub.

Destinasi kuta merupakan contoh dari pembangunan yang tidak

terkendali. Terjadi mass tourism: The destination of Kuta is an
example of uncontrolled development. Mass tourism going on

Good facilities and good fun, but not particularly Balinese. Should this development continue
unchecked, Bali is in danger of becoming a characterless relic of its former self, replacing the greenery
and ancient Hindu temples with new temples of bland western style consumerism.

The Balinese government has in more recent times begun to realize the dangers that unchecked
development might bring and is now putting greater emphasis on the environment and sustainability.
Building rules and regulations have gradually been tightened and the development criteria expanded.

For a number of years now, building heights have been restrained by a rule that stipulates that no new
buildings can be taller than the tallest palm tree. This has helped to maintain a semblance of a relaxed
village feel in most areas. In 2011, the regional government also issued a new decree banning new
buildings in already developed areas, to prevent future concrete jungles.

More recently, the new Nusa Dua- Ngurah Rai'Tanjung Benoa toll road in southern Bali, set to be
completed this June, demonstrates the latest example of this difficult balancing act between necessary
economic development and environmental preservation. The new highway is designed to divert traffic
away from Bali's congested village roads, much complained about by local residents and foreign
tourists alike, and improve inter-connectivity between southern parts of Bali (Nusa Dua) with South
Denpasar and Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Efforts were made during the development to minimize environmental damage by building large
swathes of the highway over the sea, although despite these efforts, hectares of mangrove forest still
had to be cleared. What has changed from the past however is that minimizing environmental damage
has become a prominent feature in Bali's new developments.

Previous plans for relieving congestion involved large inland highways that would have caused even
greater environmental devastation. Lessons from the past have begun to be taken on board, however
imperfect current solutions remain to be.

In terms of local sustainability and economic growth, parts of Bali have proved that the two can go
hand in hand. The quiet and relaxed touristy town of Ubud is a case in point. Famous for its traditional
culture, Ubud has balanced sustainability with economic growth remarkably well. Arts and crafts
shops, galleries and local goods dominate the streets. Restrictions on international franchises and
overly commercial development have allowed the local economy and the local people to thrive.

In the Tabanan region of Bali, the local regency government has taken a tough line on tourism
development. Businesses wanting to develop hotels in the region need to meet strict environmental and
sustainable principles to gain a license. This includes training and hiring local labor and conserving the
environment, where two-thirds of any development plots must be left as forests or rice paddies.

This also works in tandem with rural farmers, who rely on agricultural land to survive. This has not
deterred investors, but has made them take a more considered and thoughtful approach to their
developments. Further still, this has made local villagers more amenable to their presence.
Sustainability can go hand in hand with economic growth.

The Indonesian government's latest tourism policy has taken on board these environmental and
sustainable principles. It has realized that tourism has to be developed in a sustainable way. Current
government policy is based on four noble principles. Tourism must be pro-poor, pro-growth, pro-job,
and pro-environment. The challenge for Indonesia will be making this policy a reality.