Bali Ecotourism Assessment - Les: The Authentic Bali Destination
Bali is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but it's being loved to death by a rapidly increasing population of tourists. Bali attracts over 2.5 million tourists every year with well over half a million being Australian. Mass tourism has had a dramatic affect on Bali’s culture and environment over the past 20 or so years. Rice paddies around Denpasar are being swallowed up by development to meet the growing demand for accommodation, traffic congestion is out of control, rubbish can be found in every street, road, beach and village on the island and the Balinese tradition and language is being swamped by western demands and to other cultures. The Bali that people once knew is difficult to find today.
Setting aside the issue of what can be done to make Bali more sustainable for one minute, it begs the question, where can one find the real Bali and meet traditional Balinese families, eat real Balinese food and seek out local people going about their everyday life.
In March 2011, FACET sent a small team of volunteers to such a place in north Bali. The village of Les has a population of about 8,000 people and located on the hillsides overlooking the beautiful Bali Sea. Steep mountains rise up behind the village giving the presence of a huge sentinel protecting the people below.
Local farmers zip around on motorbikes doing amazing balancing acts with large piles of timber and sacks of concrete, small Warungs (roadside shops) busily serve meals to local villagers and the odd passing tourist, while the local morning market buzzes with chatter and activity as the villagers trade their array of exotic food; tuna fish, fruit and vegetables flowers, rice, beans, nuts, coffee, cocoa and baskets of herbs and spices. Smiling faces beam from the small groups of men and women gathered around the outside of the market. Everyone seems to know everyone else. “Hello Mista” shouts one guy, “take my picture”. It strikes one as a very simple and happy place. For a small poor village that depends almost entirely on semi commercial subsistence agriculture, one can’t help thinking that maybe they have found that elusive idyllic lifestyle that many of us in the western world are searching for. Simplicity, family, a sense of community, tradition, spiritual enlightenment and where nothing’s a problem and time doesn’t seem too important. Maybe the mountains are special and have been looking over and after the people of Les for thousands of years. Have I found Nirvana?
While the people of Les have been long protected from the ravages of mass tourism, it is slowing making its way to the area. Over 76,000 (55,539 foreigner and 20,596 domestic tourists) visitors travelled and stayed overnight to the region (Buleleng Regency) in 2009, with the vast majority being in the 25-35 year old age bracket, with Germans being the most frequent visitors (25%) and other Europeans making up 50% of visitors mainly from United Kingdom, Holland and France. Australians make up about 12% of visitors.
Can Les resist the inevitable march of tourism development across the island paradise? With hotel development out of control in and around Denpasar, the Governor of Bali has placed a moratorium on hotel development in Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Ubud. The aim according to the Bali government's Investment Board, is to “spread out the building of accommodation to other regencies." You can bet that hotel developers will be scouring the island for new locations to set up luxury resorts and north Bali is on the radar. A new international airport is already being proposed for the area!
But what kind of tourism and tourist accommodation will be acceptable and welcomed in remote areas where tourism is only just beginning and where local villagers are well aware of the negative impacts of mass tourism and are keen to avoid them.
Our discussions with local Kepala Desa (Village headman) and some of his village leaders, suggests that they are firmly fixed on a more sustainable form of tourism, where the form and style of development is in keeping with their culture, and where visitor numbers are manageable and do not adversely impact on their way of life. On the other hand they want tourism to be an economic and social vehicle for sustaining the local community, they want to stop the drain of local youth leaving for Kuta to find work by providing local jobs, creating new businesses and injecting foreign exchange into the local economy. Getting the balance right will be the challenge.
Les will definitely continue to attract increasing numbers of visitors. Les is displaying the typical “exploration” stage of an immature destination with ample evidence of small numbers of pioneering, adventurous travellers, seeking out those ‘out of the way’ places. Les is probably attracting around 2-3,000 visitors per annum, with most coming to see the magnificent Les waterfall. Les has the attractions and activities to sustain tourism with opportunities for trekking in the rainforest covered mountains, snorkelling, kayaking and cultural tours. They just need to be developed in way that meets their needs and not the needs of others keen to capitalize on this unique but undeveloped part of Bali. As I see it Les has several challenges to overcome. If Les is to develop a form of community based tourism that optimises financial outcomes for the local village while retaining control of tourism development it must first manage the politics of tourism and ensure that the local Bupati (elected leader of the Regency) is supportive of the direction the village is taking and understands its reasons. Gaining the moral and political support of senior local and District officials for a project is fundamental to any development in Bali. Second, it will need assistance to run a community based planning process to prepare a tourism strategy that will provide a blueprint for tourism development and management. Third it needs capital to develop more accommodation and essential amenities such as toilets and change rooms, a visitor centre and signage. Fourth, local villagers will need to be trained in tourism and hospitality. Fifth, Les needs to find ways to control, collect and dispose of its rubbish. Six, the Kepals Desa will need to demonstrate the success of this form of tourism to elected leaders and officials. Last it needs a marketing approach that attracts the tourists from a segment of the market that is empathetic to the concept of small-scale sustainable community based tourism.
It’s a race against time to develop and demonstrate a more acceptable and sustainable form of tourism before major foreign interests take control of the area.
What can Western Australians do to help Bali become sustainable? Do Western Australians have responsibility towards Bali? I think so! Australians make up the largest proportion of international visitors to Bali, accounting for 645,000 visitors in 2010. This represents 11% of all visitors and over 25% of all foreign visitors, with Western Australians make up a large proportion of the Aussie contingent.
Next time you go to Bali check out the accommodation providers and select an accommodation provider that is a certified eco or sustainable operator. There are several including Novotel Bali Benoa, Udayana Eco Lodge at Jimbaran Bay, Alila Villas, Melia Bali, and Westin Resort Kuta. A number of other accommodation providers have a self rated eco label that professes to be eco friendly. Vote with your feet. At least it’s a start.
Here are some comments on Les from the FACET team members:
Vanessa Weigall
Desa Les has most of the things everyone loved about Bali “back in the day”. Unspoilt by mass tourism, it is a place of natural beauty but also the home of warm and welcoming people. The challenge for the village will be to implement a form of tourism that doesn’t damage the resource that supports it. That means the cultural as well as the physical environments. However, the village has a good understanding of what sustainable, community-based tourism means to them and why they want it, which is to provide funds to educate their children.
Shannon Hassell
Ask most Perth folk what they think of Bali and they may say “been there, done that”. The man next to me on the plane who had been to Bali 25 times certainly could. But my experience was different, I got out of the enclave that is Kuta and experienced a taste of the ‘real Bali’; where locals stories are rich and intriguing, the food is picked or caught fresh every day and you feel like a part of their village. I was told by some elders that Les means to ‘run and hide’, or ‘hideaway’. I felt privileged that I was allowed, if only for a little while, to hide away with them as well.
Peter Clay
Having worked closely with the Bali tourism industry on and off for the last 10 years, as soon as I arrived into the village of Les on the north coast of Bali I realised there was something very special about the people and the village. Often you hear the phrase “You should have seen Bali 40 years ago” and as I was born in the 80’s, I can only imagine Les is an epitome of the Bali long forgotten. Friendly faces that go past tourist chatter, a strong spiritual connection to the land and the Balinese culture, rustic colourful architecture, a confident push for sustainable growth and a dramatic landscape of mountains meeting the volcanic sands of the northern Bali beaches. The village of Les to me is everything you dream Bali to be and at the same time, everything you never thought it could be.
Stay tuned for further details on a presentation from the FACET’s Bali project team as they present the findings of their visit to Les in a FACET Forum in July.
FACET would like to thank Strategic Airlines for their sponsorship of the project.
By Colin Ingram
Resolve Global
Deputy Chair, FACET
15 March 2011
Ross Dowling awarded Medal of the Order of Australia
Congratulations to Prof. Ross Dowling, FACET Chair, Director of Ecotourism Australia and Professor at Edith Cowan University, for being recognised in the
Australia Day 2011 Honours List. Ross was awarded the
Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the hospitality and tourism industry, education and development of ecotourism.
The Australia Day 2011 Honours List provides a national and formal recognition for many Australians across the nation who have made a significant difference to their communities. The award recognises Ross' dedication to the industry for over 20 years.
"This is a great honour and I am both humbled and proud to receive the award" said Professor Dowling.
Ross is the present chair of FACET and he co-founded and is currently the director of Ecotourism Australia. He has convened many state, national and international conferences on ecotourism, written a number of books on the subject and is also the chair of the Australian Geoparks Network, an advisor to UNESCO's Global Network of Geoparks and has convened the world's first two conferences on Geotourism, with the third planned this year. Ross is also committed to the advancement of cruise ship tourism.
"Ross' award is fantastic news, he has contributed to the development of the global ecotourism industry for over 20 years - he has been there for the long haul and has contributed to policy development and teaching in a very significant way". Tony Charters, Tony Charters and Associates said.
ECU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kerry Cox commented. "Professor Dowling is a great example to us all of how the passion and commitment of one individual can result in outstanding outcomes for the community".
Congratulations Ross for your outstanding contribution to the industry and receiving this prestigious award.
Chairperson’s Message
FACET has continued to deliver networking and professional development opportunities for the industry through a number of successful Forums throughout 2009/10.
We were pleased to host a Forum with Kate Lamont, Chair of Tourism WA - and long time supporter of FACET - to provide an industry briefing on her vision for the future direction of TWA, prior to the announcement of the organisations new strategy and business model. Over 60 people attended the Forum and many were given an opportunity to pose questions and make comment on the matter.
FACET’s May Forum provided an opportunity to showcase some of Western Australia’s best tourism operators, including 2009 FACET Golden Guide Award winner Paul Sofilas from the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Paul was joined by Peter Casonato of Donnelly River Cruises who took out Gold in the Ecotourism category, Paula Nelson representing Fremantle Prison which was awarded Major Tourist Attraction and Chris Pye, Karijini Eco Retreat who received Silver in the Indigenous Tourism category. The Forum allowed these Award Winners to share their passion for the industry and provide an insight into what it takes to become the ‘Best in the West’. A common thread across all presentations was the benefits to be gained from undertaking the Tourism Award’s application process.
For me a stand out Forum was ‘Tourism Partnerships: Creative Solutions to Skills Shortage’ by Professor Dr Joern Mundt, from Germany. Hosted by Curtin University on 10 June, Professor Mundt gave an excellent address on The University of Cooperative Education, in the German State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The University has developed a very exciting partnership model building on the experience of public-private partnerships in vocational training. His inspiring address showed how the University has developed apprenticeships linked to University degrees.
Another significant achievement for FACET this year, took place in late May when a number of our Executive Committee travelled to Mt Magnet to deliver a 'Tourism Framework 2010-2013' to the Shire, Councillors and community representatives. This comprehensive document provides the way forward for sustainable tourism development for the Shire of Mt Magnet and surrounding region, and includes a four point action plan focussing on visitor servicing, industry profitability, community involvement and environmental protection. The tourism framework arose out of the 2009 FACET Regional Tourism Conferernce - 'Outback Tourism, Delivering a Unique Experience, held in Mount Magnet. Many thanks to Pat Barblett AM, Diane Lee, Pauline McLeod and Pauline McMullan for their contribution to the editing and final presentation of the report. It is much appreciated.
With the recent change in focus of Tourism Western Australia, FACET look forward to working with the tourism industry to delivery more industry development programs into the future.
As the year unfolds I wish to thank both the Department of Environment and Conservation and Tourism Western Australia for their continual support as our major partners. FACET could not operate as efficiently or effectively without them and so we are continually grateful for their direct and indirect support of our activities.
Finally, planning is well underway for our 2011 Tourism Conference, which will focus on 'Rediscovering Parks'. For further information visit the conference section of the website.
With warm wishes, as always.
Ross Dowling
Chairperson