Kuta Bali has along
history . Faced with such contradictory statements by foreigners,
it is interesting to examine how the Balinese themselves
feel about the tourist "invasion." To tell the
truth, the Balinese did not really have a say in the decision
of the central government to trade on their island's charms
in order to refill the coffers of the state, and they were
never consulted about the Master Plan. Presented with a
fait accompli, they attempted to appropriate tourism in
order to reap its economic benefits. In 1971, Balinese authorities
proclaimed their own conception of the kind of tourism they
deemed suitable to their island - namely a "Cultural
Tourism" (Pariwisata Budaya) that is respectful of
the values and artistic traditions which brought fame to
the island in the first place.
From the start, the
Balinese have evinced an ambivalent attitude towards tourism,
which they perceived as being at once filled with the promise
of prosperity and yet fraught with danger. The foreign invasion
was seen to contain the threat of "cultural pollution"
which might destroy those very traditions which provided
Bali's main attraction for tourists.
By official accounts,
Cultural Tourism has achieved its mission, reviving Balinese
interest in their traditions while reinforcing a sense of
cultural identity. In actual fact, Balinese culture has
neither been "destroyed" nor "revived"
by tourism, and tourism should not even been seen as an
"external force" striking Bali from the outside.
Over the years tourism has instead become an integral part
of Balinese society and economy. Even more important, moreover,
is the fact that tourism is only one of many factors bringing
about rapid change on the island. Other equally important
ones are mass education, mass media and rising expectations
among the young.
In effect, a new Balinese
culture and identity is now emerging that is an amalgamation
of all sorts of influences, from inside Bali as well as
from the outside. The major contribution of foreigners has
perhaps been to make the Balinese aware of the fact that
they are the lucky owners of something precious and perishable
called "culture." Yet they are also increasingly
viewing this heritage as something that is detachable from
themselves something that can be photographed, staged, promoted,
reproduced and sold.
The island of Kuta
Bali has long been characterized in the West as the last
"paradise" on earth a traditional society insulated
from the modern world and its vicissitudes, whose inhabitants
are endowed with exceptional artistic talents and consecrate
a considerable amount of time and wealth staging sumptuous
ceremonies for their own pleasure and that of their gods
- now also for t1me delectation of foreign visitors.
This image is due in
large part of course to the positive effect Bali's manifold
charms have on visitors, but we should recognize that it
is also the result of certain- romantic Western notions
about what constitutes a "tropical island paradise"
in the first place. Moreover, we need to understand that
Bali's development into a popular tourist destination has
been the result of specific actions and decisions on the
part of governing authorities.
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