DENPASAR ~

Chairman of Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) of Bali Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati believes the development of cultural tourism should maintain the distinctive character of each region.

“All parties should keep the tradition and culture that has existed in each area so each other will not mixed up,” said Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati in Denpasar on Thursday.

He cited cultural characteristic in Ubud is not the same as the culture in Kuta so that the concept of cultural tourism should be clustered. According to him, the presence of different character in an area expected to be an attraction for the local area.

“Cultural tourism must be based in that concept and also community-based, small-scale and sustainable,” he said.

Moreover, cultural tourism is the main attraction for tourists that need to be preserved and special attention to the cross-subsidy aid to the local people as farmers to be freed from the obligation of Land and Building Tax (PBB).

He expected the cross-subsidies support to farmers should be given continuously and can be felt by small community in Bali. Cok Ace added Bali which becomes the largest supplier of foreign exchange for Indonesia from the tourism sector should be given greater equalization funds to take care and maintain the island’s nature, such as religious ritual activities to maintain the natural balance of the island of thousand temples.

“Nowadays, with the fact the development of tourism in the region of South Bali, the concept of tourism has led to “mass tourism” which also received full support from the government with a target of two million tourists visit so it no longer holds the concept of cultural tourism,” he said.