Presentations
"Local Cultures and International Tourism"
Balancing Tourism Development and Heritage Conservation
Andi Mappi Sammeng
Deputy Minister br Tourism (Director General of Tourism)
Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, Republic of Indonesia
?. Overview
It is my pleasure to speak today at this conference in Japan, which is one of the leading economic powers in the world and whose path of modernization and development over the past fifty years has been admired throughout Asia. But Japan is not only a major global trading partner, it is also a country rich in cultural heritage, where the past is still very much alive in the present.
In Indonesia, while we have made remarkable economic and social progress in our fifty-plus years as an independent nation, we are very concerned about losing our traditions along the route to modernization. We are a country that is not only rich in natural resources but, just as importantly, possess a wealth of cultural and religious traditions. In Indonesia, tourism development has been prioritized in the government's long term development plans as one of the most important strategic sectors in terms of foreign exchange revenue and employment opportunities. However, we are determined to make sure that this does not come at the expense of heritage conservation.
In principle, it is easy to state the ideal balance between tourism development and heritage conservation: everyone wishes growth and prosperity and at the same time everyone wants to keep their cultural heritage flourishing and intact. However, in the real world, there are many decisions made every day by people in the public and private sectors which impact both tourism and heritage. All these decisions affect the balance between development and conservation.
Conservation and tourism are both multi-faceted phenomena characterized by high levels of interdependence and a multiplicity of public, private and non-profit players. Because so many interests are involved in determining what to protect, what to preserve, and what to develop, it is my view that government must play a fundamental role in charting the way forward and has a clear public responsibility to do so.
II. Understanding Heritage
Cultural heritage in its broadest terms-natural and man-made, material and immaterial-is a very complex phenomenon. It is not easily defined nor is it easily regulated, preserved, conserved or protected. We can also agree that heritage is a fundamental part of any national identity and therefore touches on core values and sensitive issues. This means that heritage does not, and cannot, belong to one sector only. It does not belong to any specific group or community-and certainly not to any commercial interests who wish to use a particular aspect of the communal heritage.
It is generally agreed that heritage encompasses all aspects of natural and man-made heritage, including not easily defined immaterial aspects of life such as tradition, ceremonies, and values. Cultural heritage also covers material aspects such as clothes, food and arts and crafts. Within these broad definitions, it can be seen that in all countries there may be groups with their own specific heritage-that is, a specific geographical area perhaps with its own customs, special food and language.
Within Indonesia, for example, there are about 350 recognized distinct ethnic groups living on our 17,000 plus islands. However, there is also simultaneously the nation of Indonesia which draws upon these many different individual heritages to construct its national identity, with a shared national language and a strong determination to live together as one people.
It is therefore clear heritage has both a local and specific role as well as a national, and even international aspect which must be taken into account. An illustration of the multiple roles that heritage sites in particular face can be seen at the magnificent 9th century Borobudur temple located near Yogyakarta in Central Java. Today it can be said that Borobudur“belongs”not only to the Buddhist community in Indonesia, but also to Buddhists around the world, including those in Japan.
However, Borobudur is also visited by thousands of students every year, so we can state that, in a sense, it also “belongs”to the youth of the nation. It is located in a predominately Muslim community whose taxes and visitor fees pay for its upkeep and preservation, and therefore it “belongs”to the Muslim community as well. Borobudur is an important part of Indonesia's man-made heritage and was restored to its former glory by the efforts of the Indonesian government and people over a ten-year period at great cost and effort. But this effort was also supported by international experts and UNESCO; furthermore, Borobudur has also been designated a World Heritage Site. Therefore, it is fair to say that in some sense it also “belongs”to mankind as a whole as well as to Indonesia.
I raise these points to underline the complex challenge facing decision-makers around the world of determining exactly what“heritage”is, who the stake-holders are, and who should rightfully be consulted in its management.
?. Conservation and Development
Development is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon
