As one of the world’s largest economic sectors, travel & tourism creates jobs and generates prosperity across the world. The sector, comprised of a wide range of industries, serves and supports both domestic and international and business and leisure visitors. Companies, large and small, in industries ranging from accommodation and transportation, to food & beverage, retail and culture and sports & recreation, all strive to create products and services that intrigue and inspire people to visit, supporting communities and celebrating the wonders that their destination can offer.
Photo courtesy of iStock/NOWJAKARTA
The tourism industry in Indonesia has however given rise to some serious concerns, including social costs and ecological impacts. Many ancient local cultures have practically lost their identity, with their societies increasingly orientated to this industry. Both the natural and cultural – rural or urban – landscapes have also paid a high price for certain forms of tourism, especially those involving large numbers of visitors. These problems will persist if economic benefit is the only aim, leading to economic gains that eventually become culturally ruinous. It is also important to consider that visitors nowadays are increasingly demanding cultural, environmental and social considerations before even booking a holiday.
Local tourism in Indonesia also plays an important role in changes to the natural environment and are strongly affected by technological and social developments. While natural changes are inherent in the Earth’s ecosystem, technological and social changes are inherent to development and are now becoming widespread. Cities are growing rapidly and industry and agriculture require increasingly larger areas, and many traditional rural areas have been abandoned to development. However, many historical places and local tourism destinations are being recovered and can be maintained through intelligent strategies of tourism focused on nature and culture. Natural landscapes and biodiversity are becoming increasingly appreciated. The tourism industry must be able to respond to these aspirations.
To effectively implement sustainable destination practices and to guarantee long-term sustainability in Indonesia’s tourism, a suitable balance must be established between the four pillars of sustainable tourism: Efficient Management, Economic Benefits, Community Sensitivity and Environmental Protection.
To address these concerns and to look for possible solutions, Most Valued Business (MVB) will host a seminar: Indonesia’s Sustainable Tourism: Meeting the Needs of the Future Traveler on Thursday, 19 September 2019.
This is a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the development of sustainable tourism in Indonesia in government, private sector decision-makers and the public, while mobilizing all stakeholders to work together to make tourism a catalyst for positive change.
The objective of the seminar is to provide a forum for industry players to exchange best practices and information on tourism, and to facilitate the sharing experiences and the building of a real network among tourism practitioners and policy makers for further collaboration in the research of sustainable tourism worldwide.
For more information, keep yourself updated via www.mostvaluedbusiness.com.
