Bali is renowned for its pure white sandy beaches, and
while most visitors to the island stay on the coasts, the island has so much
more to offer. Bali has something for everyone, from traditional towns to
breathtaking natural vistas to thrilling climbs, ATVs, and zip lines.
Although nearly one million tourists returned to Bali
in the last month, the tourism industry's sub-sectors are not recovering at the
same rate. While hotel occupancy in coastal resorts like Kuta and Sanur is
increasing, experiential tourism inland is failing to recover.
Only 9 of the regency's 26 tourism towns have reopened
since the lockdown, according to the Tabanan Tourism Office. I Gusti Ngurah
Agung Suryana, the head of the Tabanan Tourism Office, accused tourism village
administrators of a lack of creativity and promotion. Though, bigger forces may
be at work. Innovation alone will not be enough to entice tourists to return to
Bali's famous tourism communities.
The expense of marketing is significant, and village
leaders require assistance in promoting the experiences they provide to the
appropriate audiences. He also asked locals to play an active part in luring
tourists to the area. Local residents' participation in the form of sharing
culture is the foundation of the tourism model; without their excitement, the
initiatives will not recover.
"We continue to encourage the redevelopment of
existing local expertise, including how to promote the presence of tourist
villages, because present tourism must be supported by the existence of tourist
villages," he stated. Tourists are bored of vacationing in cities and have
decided to experience a new ambiance in the countryside."
Suryana went on to claim that he is instructing
tourism village managers to use social media to advertise their experiences
since it is a low-cost alternative that is available to many of the 17 tourism
villages that have struggled to reopen. "We in the district merely encourage
coaching via WhatsApp groups so that the tourism village can continue to
thrive," he said.
Suryana told local reporters that the 17 tourism
settlements are spread throughout 10 sub-districts in Tabanan. Tabanan is a
major Bali Regency that includes popular tourist destinations such as Tanah Lot
Temple, Balian Beach, and Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. Nature tourism, trekking,
and cultural encounters are the basis of the tourism programs in the 17
settlements. In Bali, demand for nature, culture, and adventure tourism has not
recovered as swiftly as the desire for beach and coastal vacations.
Although Suryana may feel isolated in his attempts to revitalize
Tabnana's rural tourist programs, his sector has not been neglected. Sandiaga
Salahuddin Uno, Indonesia's Minister of Tourist and Creative Economies, held a
news conference on Monday to outline tourism plans for the rest of 2022. He
also discussed his strategy for increasing and diversifying tourism in Bali.
The International Conference on Ecotourism will be
held in West Bali National Park in July. This presents an opportunity for the
island to tackle the sluggish recovery of the ecotourism sector, despite
worldwide trends favoring ecotourism as the norm.
Bali will also host the G20 Summit in November, with organizers
emphasizing the importance of promoting Balinese culture and heritage. The
summit is followed by a series of delegation field tours. Although these
tourists are believed to be traveling to Guyana Regency, the media attention
surrounding these incidents may assist draw greater notice to what adjacent
Tabanan has to offer.
The recovery from the effects of the pandemic's
two-year impact has generated an entrepreneurial spirit in some Bali towns. A
group of teenage conservationists is attempting to put Temesi Village's secret
waterfall on the tourism map in Gianyar Regency.
It is apparent that communities around Bali are
working hard to ensure that everyone, particularly micro and small companies,
benefits from tourism money as the island recovers.