The Authority of the Indonesian Local Government in Tourism Management: “A Case Study of Tourism Management in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan Province”

Abstract

In this era decentralization, there has been an increasing transfer authority from central government to local government. As a result, some aspects of tourism management have been transferred to local level. This study uses the authority of the Berau local government to illustrate this. Using a descriptive case study with focuses on 7 sub-districts in the Berau Regency, the data were taken by personal observations made through visits and in depth interviews with the regent, head of culture and tourism office and 7 chiefs as the key informants. It was found that the Berau local government give limited authority to the sub-district offices to manage tourism in local areas, however, they do not provide adequate funding for tourism development. They are required to coordinate with the Culture and Tourism Office (CTO) in the Berau Regency. This leads to delays in the development of tourism. This can be seen in public facilities which are not properly maintained, and potential tourist attractions which are not recognized as such, and have not been taken over and maintained by the government. It is suggested that the Berau Local government should transfer authority to the sub-district offices for the sake of efficiency since they posses greater understanding of their areas of responsibility.