Economy versus culture

Tourism has had a massive effect on Bali and older Balinese people in particular are not always happy about the results. Social studies among the Balinese reveal some people think of tourism as equating to a disease slowly destroying their culture and bringing disrespect to the villages. Balinese people feel especially uneasy when tourism directly affects their religious pursuits and structures. Having tourists tramping around temples and dances specially set up for commercial purposes does not please everyone. More and more Balinese people head to the southern areas each year in search of employment, meaning they find it harder to be present in their villages for religious observance. The problem the Balinese are facing is how to derive maximum benefit from tourism without having it destroy the culture.

You will find versions of the same problem the world over, the thing here in Bali is that the religion and culture are so intertwined and the tourism industry so different from normal village life. It would be one thing for a fellow from an English village to get a job working in the tourism industry, but quiet different for a Balinese. Someone once said ‘tourism is the fire that cooks your dinner and the fire that burns your house down.’

A couple of years back at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet was asked if he thought tourism was generally beneficial around the world. His gig is selling guide books so of course he said is was beneficial, citing the increased options the local population have as well as increased access to education and health care.

When people talk about ‘destroying a culture’ what exactly do they mean? I think of ‘culture’ to mean ‘the way we live’ including houses, dress, food, drink, song, dance, religion, ceremonies, language and customs. Culture is in a permanent state of change, what makes people feel uneasy is when the change is too rapid and old ways are disguarded without the new ways being fully tested and embraced.

Selling land for tourist development is one of the most visible ways Bali is changing. Some of the restaurants in Seminyak will have to change their menus pretty soon, as that ‘sit in peace and enjoy the rice-field view’ becomes a ‘villa view’, the rice fields getting dried out, carved up and developed block by block.

Fifty years Balinese people had a much simpler life, consisting for most people of daily work, family life and religious duties. Nowadays there are all kinds of other distractions including shopping, nightlife and a range of ‘must haves’ including motorbikes and cell phones. Add to this the increased financial commitment of ceremonies. Years ago bantens of fruit were made with local fruit, nowadays Balinese people use the more expensive imported fruit because it looks nicer. So where is all this heading? Hinduism is practiced in India, although without the elaborate cremation ceremonies and parades seen in Bali. Maybe its time for a Balinese pedanda (high priest) to declare there is no need for overly elaborate offerings, limiting what is needed.

Regarding the Balinese temple ceremonies themselves, I wondered before coming to Bali if they were just an add-on to the tourist scene. They definitely are not and most Balinese seem indifferent to having westerners around during a ceremony. The temple culture is alive and well and young Balinese still get very excited at the thought of large scale ceremonial events.

Has tourism been good for Bali? Tourism has brought development, some good, some bad. It has also brought prosperity to some people. Tourism has also brought drugs and terrorism. If you ask most Balinese people if tourism is a good thing they will say yes, a quick look across the Lombok Strait giving a idea of what life is like without much tourism.

It is true that a large amount of the tourist cash ends up in the pockets of foreigners, rich Jakartans or corporations, the Balinese filling low-level jobs within the industry. Education is a big factor here and many hotels have management from Java, graduates from the tourism school in Bandung or other universities. Foreigners have often told me that Javanese make better employees as they come to earn a living and don’t take off for ceremonies, another factor affecting the locals.

Local educational resources means the average Balinese person has a low level of education. These are stretched by corruption, with school funds being syphoned off by higher-ups, before they reach the school (a teacher told me how it works). This leaves most Balinese people with few tools with which to tackle the tourism industry. There is a reason guys sit around at the side of the road in Seminyak hollering ‘Oi mate, what you looking for mate?’ and the same taxi drivers ask me every single day if I want to go to Kintamini or Ubud. In their way of thinking this equates to marketing, for many westerners its harassment. The deal with leases is a disaster too, with landlords asking ludicrous amounts to renew if they think the business is making money. Again, education would tell them their best bet is to work with, instead of against the business owner. In many ways I see tourism colliding with Balinese culture, particularly in transactions.

In my opinion the mandate for Bali should be:
1. To preserve the natural environment of Bali
2. To preserve the Balinese culture
3. To create a desirable and sustainable economy for the Balinese people.

One way of looking at the Balinese people’s problem is to say ‘its not the hand you’re dealt, its how you play it’. Let’s hope people learn how to best play their hand.