Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ambitious plan to develop 10 tourist destinations, dubbed new Balis, faces a string of challenges, raising questions about the government’s readiness to sustainably develop the new tourism spots.

Stretching from Lake Toba in North Sumatra and Borobudur temple in Central Java to Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur, NTT), the new destinations’ development aims at attracting foreign exchange inflows as the government turns to tourism as a new source of economic growth amid cooling consumer spending and exports.

However, the new destinations have their own problems, from a lack of tourism infrastructure to environmental sustainability.

In a recent visit to Lake Toba, Jokowi expressed concern over water pollution in the lake that has remained unsolved for years. He threatened to revoke the business licences of companies polluting the giant lake.

“We will pour resources into Lake Toba’s improvement,” he said during the visit last week. “Its brand must be promoted so it becomes a world-class tourist destination.”

The largest volcanic lake in Southeast Asia also had to deal with several boat accidents with hundreds of casualties in the past.

Passenger boat Sinar Bangun sank in the lake last year with hundreds of its passengers going missing. Days after that, KM Ramos Risma Marisi had an accident in which one of its crew died.

Labuan Bajo has also been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

‘Save the Komodo dragons’

The NTT administration recently announced that it planned to close Komodo National Park on Komodo Island over ecosystem concerns. The park, which is an integrated destination for tourists visiting Labuan Bajo, welcomed more than 176,000 tourists from all over the world last year.

“We have to save Komodo dragons from extinction, that’s the point,” NTT deputy governor Josef Nae Soi said as reported by Reuters.

The situations provide an early warning for the government that sustainability should be the heart of the new destinations’ rapid development, said tourism expert from Gajah Mada University Muhammad Baiquni.

The government should implement conservation- and community-based development in Labuan Bajo since it has a conservation area in it while at the same time is home to a native ethnic community.

“Since this is a conservation area, conservation should be at the forefront to ensure the local community is empowered,” Baiquni told the Jakarta Post after his recent field visit to Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park.

“Making a tourist destination a priority is a good decision, but from the sustainable tourism point of view, it must be balanced with capacity building and community development. Thus, the community won’t be left behind amid robust development,” he added.

Baiquni urged the government not to rush development and provide enough time for the community to take a role in the development process. To preserve Labuan Bajo and Komodo, the destinations must be promoted exclusively.

“Don’t sell it cheap and the tourist numbers must be limited. High pricing means high quality and a high contribution to environmental conservation and community,” he said.

The director general of Natural Resources Ecosystem Conservation of the Environment and Forestry Ministry, Wiratno, voiced a similar view, saying the development should also empower the local community.

“They must be empowered and involved in tourism. Hopefully, the local community will not only be an audience but also participate in tourism while preserving the conservation area,” he said.

Several issues surround Labuan Bajo, the sailing and island hopping destination, such as spatial planning, waste management, access to clean water and sanitation.

Under UN World Tourism Organisation guidelines issued in 2005, sustainable tourism should take full account of current and future economic, social and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of visitors, industry, the environment and host community.

Meanwhile, Tourism Ministerial Regulation No 14/2016 also stipulates that sustainable tourism should empower local communities, preserve culture and conserve the environment.

The head of the Tourism Ministry’s 10 new Balis acceleration team, Hiramsyah S Thaib, gave assurances that the plan to develop the new tourist destinations would always take into account sustainability.

“By making them priority destinations, for example Borobudur and Labuan Bajo, conservation aspects will improve. The conservation and tourism aspects must walk side-by-side,” he told the Jakarta Post recently.

During a visit to Labuan Bajo, Jokowi said the government would formulate a grand design that takes into account the capacity of the Komodo National Park to maintain a balance between tourist business interests and conservation.

Komodo Island would be exclusively reserved for conservation purposes while Rinca Island, which also has Komodo dragons, would welcome more visitors than the former. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK