The Objectives and Economic Impact of Ecotourism in Indonesia

Based on the present condition and taking into account the growing trends of tourism, after Jakarta bombing incident in July 2009, Indonesia government have to be carefully managed and maintained if the tourism industry would be sustained. Ecotourism in conservations areas has been developed and strived to gain both economic benefit and environmental protection. It means that environmentally sound tourism development is one of objectives that government wants to achieve.

Indonesia has developed principles and objectives in developing ecotourism in conservation areas.The objectives include:

1. to maintain the balance of nature in the ecosystem and its life support system;

2. to protect biodiversity and to use it as a genetic pool;

3. to provide facilities for research, development, education and training;

4. to provide facilities for nature tourism and preserve local culture; and

5. to maintain the balance between economic interest and conservation of natural resources and their ecosystems.

Concessionaire rights for operating and conducting tourism activities in the approved conservation areas (such as Nature Recreation Parks and Forest Park) can be granted to private enterprises, cooperatives and state enterprises. Enterprises that are permitted to manage specific tourism areas are allowed to collect visitor fees for services they provide in the area. They are also obliged to involve local people in their activities. Other responsibilities are to pay license fees and royalties for the nature tourism concessionaire right, as well as maintaining the integrity of park areas. Overall, enterprises should be environmentally oriented and support community welfare enhancement.

In terms of the economic impact of ecotourism, communities face two main problems. First is that ecotourism, like any form of tourism, may be an unstable source of income. Many external factors such as natural disasters, fluctuations in international currency exchange, or political conflict can severely impact tourism demand. The second economic problem of ecotourism is that many of its financial gains can leak out of the local economy if there are not policies in place to prevent this. There is also common problems for ecotourism, the potential for socio-cultural changes would happen for many reasons. To attain sustainability, comprehensive assessment of these essential factors must be conducted.