Between Cultural Preservation and Tourism Industry: Dialectic Relations in Cultural Heritage Tourism Management in Tanah Lot and Borobudur Indonesia

I Ketut Surya Diarta

doi:10.24922/eot.v4i2.36403

Abstract

Cultural heritage tourism has a great role in supporting economic growth in Indoneisa. This can only be achieved if cultural heritage tourism is well managed. Well and integrated management refers to the balance of preservation of cultural heritage and tourism industry since both are two entities that have a contradictory management regime approach. This paper discusses the destination management model of two culural heritages: Borobudur Temple in Central Java and Tanah Lot Temple in Bali which are two cultural heritages developed as cultural heritage tourism destinations. Both are trying to balance between the aspects of cultural heritage preservation and tourism business by emphasizing harmony between tourism aspects, utilization of cultural heritage, consume of products and experiences, and services to tourists. The results show that both destinations provide adequate space of dialectical process that is reflected from the shifting management paradigm from competitors towards collaborators relationship. Both destination managements are directed towards symbiotic cooperation in cultural heritage tourism. Preservation and tourism purposes mutually influencing each other. In Tanah Lot Temple cultural heritage tourism managed by customary village and local goverment while in Borobudur temple managed by PT. Taman Wisata Borobudur, a state owned enterprises.

Highlights

Background future generation” (Smith, 2009)
The relationship between cultural preservation and tourism industry is an important issue within world cultural heritage tourism model
This paper will discuss two best practices on how a dialectic relationship between cultural heritage preservation and cultural heritage tourism implemented in two Indonesian cultural heritage masterpieces: Borobudur Tempel in Magelang, Central Java Province and Tanah Lot Temple, Bali Province

Summary

Introduction

Background future generation” (Smith, 2009). Yet, some might argue that cultural heritage is a promising niche to tourism industry. Balancing relations between tourism industry and heritage preservation is main agenda to gain a mutual sustainable relationship in cultural heritage tourism. Ashworth (1995 in Smith, 2009) questions “the naïve assumptions of harmony” that exist among those who argue that tourism and heritage necessarily enjoy a symbiotic relationship, he recognises the mutual benefits of heritage tourism development. In Indonesia, Kagami (1997: 77) found that Indonesian Government “use[s] the historical monuments within the country for tourism development, while at the same time trying to intervene in their management in the name of their preservation as part of nation‟s cultural heritage”. According to Kagami, these processes “do not take a single course” but rather “proceed in parallel, mutually influencing each other” This process what in this paper will be called as “a dialectic relationship”. This paper will discuss two best practices on how a dialectic relationship between cultural heritage preservation and cultural heritage tourism implemented in two Indonesian cultural heritage masterpieces: Borobudur Tempel in Magelang, Central Java Province and Tanah Lot Temple, Bali Province

Literature Review

A Brief History of Borobudur Temple Management

A Brief History of Tanah Lot Temple Management

Use of

Conclusion