SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Banten as one of the most-preferred tourist destinations in Indonesia.
Not all tourists buy package tours in their home country, especially those who plan to visit Indonesia. It’s a huge country and not easy to create a travel plan. It’s like putting together several countries as one on the same map. Tourists or travel agents refer to Indonesia Package Tours mostly for studying and price comparison only.
There are many tourists who choose, decide, or prefer to buy Indonesia Package Tours from travel agents in the countries with hub airports of major airlines flying to Indonesia.
Technology and internet enables airlines to offer very competitive prices, and many tourists after doing some research on their own buy airline tickets “to get there first, and plan later”. Some tourists might get disappointed, as the package tours which they bought from overseas delivered less than what they might have expected. It’s not the overseas agents’ fault though. It might be that the local agents themselves who had not provided enough information at the first place.
Technology and internet enables airlines to offer very competitive prices, and many tourists after doing some research on their own buy airline tickets “to get there first, and plan later”. Some tourists might get disappointed, as the package tours which they bought from overseas delivered less than what they might have expected. It’s not the overseas agents’ fault though. It might be that the local agents themselves who had not provided enough information at the first place.
With so many natural attractions to offer and its close location to the capital city Jakarta, Banten could become an information travel hub where tourists would plan their Indonesia Tour while exploring and enjoying the serene natural beauty of this mystical region.
INFORMATION TRAVEL HUB
Contrary to all predictions, technology and internet hasn’t been able to fully replace the job and function of a travel agent.
To become an information travel hub requires skilled and trained manpower with vast knowledge of tourism industry in general, and tourist destinations in particular.
Our mission is to:
– empower local communities with education and trainings, to come up with skilled and trained individuals capable of providing correct and useful information and delivering excellent services to the tourists
– take them to the next-level, for them to become active members of the society involved in tourism-related business and industry
We don’t reinvent the wheel. We create and develop training programmes, and follow the UNWTO’s guideline on Capacity Building Programmes in Tourism Development and Management:
In order for community based tourism to be successful it has to increase community capacity. Labonte and Laverack (2001:114) explain capacity building as the increase in community groups’ abilities to define, assess, analyze and act on concerns of importance to their members.
It is based on the:
Community capacity:
IMPLEMENTATION
This vision must be shared with the local communities, stakeholders, and other parties as well, who will benefit from the growth of tourism industry in the region. They must partake in destination branding, so that they behave in a way that reflects the destination’s brand values; friendly, unorthodox, creative etc., and particularly the destination’s ‘front line ambassadors’: those with whom visitors come into contact – from border guards to taxi-drivers, shop assistants, guides, and staff in hotels and resorts.
How ? First, we identify geographical areas within Banten with potentials for growth and/or changes, and conduct present status assessment to come up with list of priority projects. Next, we develop training needs & requreiments master-plan. Where required, those trainings will be tailored or new training modules created. There will always be multiplier-effects along the way. Our training concept is what we refer to as full cycle training. We don’t give man a hook or just teach how to fish. We also show them where to catch fish and more.
Our mission is to:
– empower local communities with education and trainings, to come up with skilled and trained individuals capable of providing correct and useful information and delivering excellent services to the tourists
– take them to the next-level, for them to become active members of the society involved in tourism-related business and industry
TRAININGS
We don’t reinvent the wheel. We create and develop training programmes, and follow the UNWTO’s guideline on Capacity Building Programmes in Tourism Development and Management:
- tourism awareness: the social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism;
- general management of the sector; tourism development policy and product development;
- implementation of tourism strategies: building strategic partnerships;
- tourism marketing and marketing mix;
- image development and management;
- human resource development;
- tourism legislation, regulation and classification schemes;
- performance management and monitoring, optimization of impacts; and
- pro-poor tourism policies, strategies and practical approaches to engage local communities and local industries in the tourism development and promotion process; and
- how to encourage sustainable and equitable employment opportunities through tourism.
CAPACITY BUILDING
In order for community based tourism to be successful it has to increase community capacity. Labonte and Laverack (2001:114) explain capacity building as the increase in community groups’ abilities to define, assess, analyze and act on concerns of importance to their members.
It is based on the:
- creation of partnerships, collaborations, and linkages;
- mobilization and communication within the community;
- development of vision, mission, and political will of the community; and
- the use of systems, organization, knowledge/skills, connectedness, and resources of the community.
Community capacity:
- improves stakeholder participation;
- increases problem assessment capacities;
- develops local leadership;
- builds empowering organizational structures;
- improves resource mobilization;
- strengthens links to other organizations and people;
- enhances stakeholder ability to question circumstance;
- increases stakeholder control over program management; and
- creates an equitable relationship with outside agents (Gibson et al., 2002:489).
IMPLEMENTATION
This vision must be shared with the local communities, stakeholders, and other parties as well, who will benefit from the growth of tourism industry in the region. They must partake in destination branding, so that they behave in a way that reflects the destination’s brand values; friendly, unorthodox, creative etc., and particularly the destination’s ‘front line ambassadors’: those with whom visitors come into contact – from border guards to taxi-drivers, shop assistants, guides, and staff in hotels and resorts.
OUR METHODS
How ? First, we identify geographical areas within Banten with potentials for growth and/or changes, and conduct present status assessment to come up with list of priority projects. Next, we develop training needs & requreiments master-plan. Where required, those trainings will be tailored or new training modules created. There will always be multiplier-effects along the way. Our training concept is what we refer to as full cycle training. We don’t give man a hook or just teach how to fish. We also show them where to catch fish and more.
