Exploring Bali, China, and India Culture as a Model of Triadic Cultural Acculturation Tourism Product in Bali

Abstract

The characteristic of cultural landscape of Bali has acculturation elements coming from three great cultural roots, such as India culture, Chinese culture and Java Hindu-Buddhism culture. This acculturation element has become a tourist attraction at some tourism villages in Bali, such as the Pinge village in Tabanan regency, Catur village and Bayung Gede village in Bangli regency. These tourism attractions will become the model of triadic tourism based on the philosophy of cultural tourism in Bali. This article explores the acculturation of cultural genetical elements which become soft power diplomacy tourism.
 This research uses the theory of Commodification of the Past from G.J. Asworth supported by the concept of semiotic from Pierce. The research method is descriptive qualitative. The technique of data collection is observation, documentation, in-depth interview with tourism stakeholder consisting of the local community in the three villages, the government, the academicians, media, and businessman as well.
 The finding of this research is a model of Triadic Tourism which is based on the acculturation of cultural genetical elements among Bali-India, Bali-China, and India-China. The similarities of cultural genetical elements can produce diplomacy tourism product which can create emotional attachment, place attachment, and social bond between tourist generating region (TGR) and tourist destination region (TDR). Diplomacy tourism can be used as a tourist attraction to capture the market share for special interest tourism (SIT) in Bali.