Integrating Archaeo-Tourism With Geotourism Development in Bantimurung National Park, South Sulawesi Province

Abstract

Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park is known with its pre-historic caves that is admitted as the eldest pre-historic caves in the world and base on the research its came from 40,000 thousand years ago. There are more than hundreds pre-historic caves in this national park. But the fact is not many people know that potential and uniqueness. People only know that area with its beautiful landscape and the place where the tourists can find the adventurous activities like rock climbing and caving. The prehistoric caves only like a dead museum without interpretation and no tourism development is conducted to attract visitors. As a cultural treasure, the prehistoric caves are not develop yet as an archaeological tourism and regarding on its potential it needs immediate development to preserve it and integrated to the tourism development that already there. The lack of coordination and cooperation between national park and heritage preservation board is the main problem why this potential attraction is not developed yet. Qualitative data analysis and interview was conducted to visitors and local communities to find out their activities in national park areas. The aim of this research is how to integrate the archaeological as tourist attraction into geotourism as main activities in Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park.