Indonesia is known as one of the countries with the richest mega-biodiversity and culture in the world. From its biological, geological, cultural, marine, and coastal potential, this country has abundant ecotourism potential.
However, Prof Ricky Avenzora, Professor at the Faculty of Forestry and Environment, assesses that the development of tourism in Indonesia over the past few decades has not been optimal and still lags behind neighboring countries.
“We have hundreds of volcanoes, long beaches, endemic animals such as elephants, tigers, rhinos, and thousands of bird species. All of these are great potentials, but what has emerged instead is conflict between wildlife and humans,” he said at the IPB University Professor Scientific Pre-Lecture Press Conference (9/18).
In his presentation titled “Academic Retrospective of 35 Years of Ecotourism Development in Indonesia,” he also highlighted Indonesia’s cultural wealth. There are more than 1.300 ethnic groups, hundreds of martial arts, traditional games, and thousands of folklores that have not been seriously explored.
“My students’ research in just one district found more than 300 pieces of folklore. Imagine if you multiply that by the 457 districts/cities in Indonesia. This could be a huge strength for our creative industry, even rivalling Korean dramas,” said the figure who is fondly known as Prof Ara.
According to him, there are three major problems in the development of tourism in Indonesia. Namely, foreign exchange and the number of tourists are still inferior to neighboring countries. The existing natural and cultural potential is actually being damaged, and the distribution of tourism benefits is uneven.
“It is the upper-middle class that benefits the most, while the lower class only receives small change,” he said.
In addition, the tourism sector is often a breeding ground for various social ills, from drug trafficking to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, according to him, a total reengineering of tourism is needed.
“Recreation and tourism should not only be interpreted as freedom of travel. It must be transformed into a journey of divine consciousness to find one’s true self and benefit the universe. That is what is called ecotourism,” he explained.
He also assessed that tourism education in Indonesia for decades has only developed in a vocational scheme. Scientific competence is ultimately not comprehensive. This has an impact on weak planning and poor bureaucratic performance.
He offered a number of solutions. Among other things, there is a need for academic reengineering in the field of tourism.
The paradigm of tourism development also needs to be changed. From simply building facilities for tourists to development that favors the local community. Finally, he also emphasized strengthening the role of the private sector as an incubator for communal businesses. (Fj) (IAAS/HRD)
IPB University
