Compromising Eden: part I

Mike Hilllis runs a dive center and adventure travel business in Ambon, in Eastern Indonesia. He has written an article an article entitled Compromising Eden, which talks about the nature of tourism in Indonesia. Here is part I.

I have always been intrigued by travel brochures featuring an exotic tropical paradise on the cover. Inevitably, this place is always portrayed as somewhere physically, and more importantly, psychologically faraway from the dizzying pace of the modern world. The images always seem to strike a similar chord; a happy couple in well pressed khakis walking the beach at sunset hand in hand, smiling men harvesting coconuts, a scuba diver swimming amongst a school of rainbow colored fish, a local woman in a bright dress engaged in batik painting with fragrant flowers in her hair, or a smiling local beauty reassuringly taking a guest's order at the poolside restaurant. There is no deception here with these images; this is as common as apple pie in resort environments throughout the world. Many tourists and travelers (subjective definitions apply to both terms) are indeed expecting to see and experience these idealized images, especially on their first trip to a tropical resort. Yes, the climate at a typical resort may run like a Swiss watch and be well scripted, but if these conditions are seen as positive and favorable by the guests, the morale of both the resort staff and more importantly the foreign visitors will remain high. Immeasurably beautiful beaches have a way of seducing tax accountants in Hamburg during the month of January. This is no secret to people in the travel industry.

Mike Hillis is a writer and an ethnologist living in Indonesia. He is also the Marketing Director of Unexplored Adventures, a diving and Eco Travel Company based in the Spice Islands of eastern Indonesia.