Collaboration Accelerates Recovery

Among tourist areas affected by disasters are beaches in Pandeglang and Serang regencies, Banten; South Lampung regency, Lampung; and Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Not all tourism recovery in the regions is going fast.

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

A visitor takes a picture with a background of panoramic views of the sky and sea when the sun sets in Nipah Beach, Malacca village, Pemenang district, North Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara, Monday (30/12/2019). Nipah area is popular among local and foreign tourists as a spot to watch the sun set.

PANDEGLANG, KOMPAS — Recovery of post-disaster tourism cannot be done without collaboration. Therefore, the beginning of 2020 should serve as an opportunity for tourism stakeholders in a number of areas damaged by natural disasters to work together to revive tourism so that the economic wheels of the community can start turning once again.

Among tourist areas affected by disasters are beaches in Pandeglang and Serang regencies, Banten; South Lampung regency, Lampung; and Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). However, not all tourism recovery in the regions is going fast.

An expert from Gadjah Mada University’s Tourism Study Center, Muhammad Baiquni, argued that the key to the revival of tourism lied not in the funds budgeted by the government but in the spirit of togetherness of the tourism stakeholders. Local governments can play a role in developing capacity and increasing coordination between tourism stakeholders and the community. "Social media can also be used to show that Banten is safe to visit," Muhammad Baiquni said on Sunday (29/12/2019).

The Tanjung Lesung Beach Hotel and Resort general manager located in the Special Economic Zone (KEK) of Tanjung Lesung, Widiasmanto, explained Friday (27/12/2019) that the recovery of tourism in Banten had been slow because promotion by the local government was still minimal. Thus far, every tourism stakeholder has carried out promotion, but the scope has been limited.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Twilight at Cilurah Indah Beach in Carita district, Pandeglang regency, Banten, Saturday (28/12/2019). Tourism on the west coast of Banten is recuperating after a tsunami at the end of December 2018. Visitors started to flock to beaches in Pandeglang and Serang regencies over the year-end holidays.

He cited as an example the installation of billboards or brochures around Pandeglang as not being effective because the main beach tourism market in Pandeglang or Serang was in Greater Jakarta.

By comparison, Lombok, which experienced a series of earthquakes throughout 2018, has now risen. Foreign tourist arrivals, mainly from Australia and Germany, increased by more than 400 percent.

Pandeglang Regent Irna Narulita said efforts to revive Pandeglang as a tourist destination required collaboration. It is not possible for everything to be shouldered by the regional government.

Thus far, the Pandeglang regency administration has not remained silent in response to complaints from tourism stakeholders. The local government has asked the provincial and central government to hold activities in Pandeglang. This is also the case with administration offices in Pandeglang regency.

However, the regional government cannot afford to pay for it alone due to the large funds that must be spent, especially because a part of the 2020 tourism budget was used to finance the simultaneous local elections.

Irna realized that most visitors to Pandeglang came from Greater Jakarta. Therefore, she suggested that early this year, billboards will be installed at Soekarno-Hatta Internation Airport, Tangerang, and on Greater Jakarta toll roads. However, the regional government cannot afford to pay for it alone due to the large funds that must be spent, especially because a part of the 2020 tourism budget was used to finance the simultaneous local elections.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) systems and strategy deputy Bernardus Wisnu Widjaja said the BNPB was preparing the concept for disaster-safe tourism areas to be applied in tourist areas by 2020.

The BNPB will also map the potential for disasters, ranging from the size of threat, as well as evacuation readiness and preparedness training in tourist areas. (ERK/FAI/IGA/ZAK)