Beropini : How Mass Tourism Is Destroying Bali And Its Culture
Once an island paradise, Bali is turning into a concrete jungle, threatening its environment, culture, religion, and even language. Can Bali survive tourism, ask the island's worried inhabitants?
Bruno Philip
LE MONDE
English edition • WORLDCRUNCH
Summary
In the article of “How Mass Tourism Is Destroying Bali And Its Culture” author Le Monde tries to show his point of view about tourism in Bali.Monde starts with the main idea that Bali could soon be unrecognizable the cumulated effects of mass tourism. As Monde points out, paradises (Bali) have no future and just fragile perfections in an imperfect world, and can only be victims of modernization. Also the number of tourists in Bali always increase each year, and has brought many problems like 13,000 cubic meters of trash are thrown into the public dumps, only half of which is recycled, face a drinkable water crisis, land are converted into hotels, luxury residences, Balinese language is slowly yielding to indonesian. and many others. Another reason Monde believes is about the irony in one day, maybe tourists might be won’t find what they were expecting in Bali anymore. In Monde excerpt Ketut Adyana as a member of the provincial legislative assembly said that the bupati who have financial interests with the real estate developers, did everything for their obsession to make money to pay off their electoral campaigns. But then he said all the more difficult since tourism does have positive aspects. people have gotten richer, and standards of living have increased. Then an excerpt from Monde that Bali is the island of god, Martin concludes by urging that Balinese lived in fear of the gods. they were aware of nature’s forces, rites enabled them to maintain the balance between man and divinity. But mass tourism is disrupting their practices: the diversity of local cultures and the specificity of rituals is being unified, homogenized.
Questions and Answers
Q: Has Bali retained its original culture, or has it become globalized and commercialized, and flooded with tourists ?
A: I would say both. Yes, according to article and references that I have red even though I never go there, many parts of Bali have been commercialized or globalized, especially Kuta, which is like the Chinatown for Australians. Everywhere we go we will find western lifestyle over there such as Bar and party overnight. Moreover we can feel the freedom in the island of Gods, On the other side, Bali still keep their original culture alive. The proof is in Ubud and other areas Ubud is more traditional, but it’s becoming more commercialized. Denpasar and some coastal areas could be globalized by tourists, but if you travel out of the city to suburb area, you will find peace and village ambiance with traditional-shaped farm. So i could say, Bali is still good choice for the culture even though globalization has made it flooded by tourists and their cultures.
Q : How tourism changes life of Balinese people ?
A : Visible changes in lifestyle of Balinese people look from increasingly of materialistic money is a top priority in life, increasingly chaotic individualism, even thought many job provides in Bali but still yet many balinese people survive to get a job and ended up to be drifter and homeless with highest stressed and according to Sarah Micheal mentally ill people are locked away in their own filth and chained up by their families and become the dark side of holiday’s island. Many tourist visit Bali every year to surf, party and holiday but almost none are aware. And again the high rate of suicide. Even so Jobs are very large and continues to grow, providing a great opportunity for residents of Bali to get a job and has increase the income for several people.
Q : What are the key reasons of mass unsustainable tourism in Bali ?
A: the history of Balinese tourism started from The Dutch opened a tourist bureau in 1924, a hotel in 1928 and attracted tourist to come to Bali and give positive impacts for them. then after a long period it gives both of good and bad impact of Bali, and negative impact is greater than the positive impact, and have been an increase in pollution, local flooding, pressure on roads and transport and deterioration of coastal areas, it is because the tourism rules and regulations are not productive because they more focus on the income and do not really think about the effects for environment and others.
Q : From what side the most negative impact in Bali tourism affect Bali ?
A : Environment has accepted the most negative impact in Bali tourism. Each day, 13,000 cubic meters of trash are thrown into the public dumps, only half of which is recycled. Irrigation channels closed by buildings and roads, and many rice fields were sold to build luxury hotel, resorts, villas, recreation places,shopping complex, restaurants and discotheques, mall that more and more, thus shifting the traditional market. Then another problems are appeare at the same time such as air pollution, water pollution, climate change, deforestation, Bali could face a drinkable water crisis, next to Local animals like birds and monkeys are also affected. Animals have become more predatory as they now beg for food from tourists or steal from them. They have become more aggressive towards humansand many others.
Q: Whats to be done from those problems ?
A : Bali is beautiful island and Indonesian’s people proud to have that island because Bali makes Indonesia being popular for destination tourism, but by looking deeply at the problem I think we need develop the idea of conscious travel and start to imagine a better alternative. When we go for holiday to some places not only in Bali we should think differently not as a resource to be exploited, but as a sacred place to be protected and celebrated for its uniqueness. Then consumption, it is important to start to view costumers not as a meir units of consumptions but as guests seeking to be healed and transformed.
Q : Besides the weakness of mass torism in Bali now, what are the strengh or benefits from tourism in Bali ?
A: fortunetly, Bali is a large torism industry in Indonesia and has provides an income for many families and villages acroos the island, first is investors, with tourism many investors flock to Bali with their money they build recreations places to attracts tourists coming to Bali. Next is job recruitment, many jobs provide in Bali, Increasing employment, providing an opportunity for residents of Bali to work and earn money. Another positive impact of the tourism industry in Bali is an opportunity for the preservation of the existing art in Bali, Bali also pupolar with the art such as dance, painting, carving, and many others and makes perfomers get a great oppurtunity to earn money.
REFERENCES :https://www.worldcrunch.com/food-travel/how-mass-tourism- is-destroying-bali-and-its-culture