Welcome holiday seasons. Watch out for travel warnings. Though Osama doesn't hide in Indonesia, just don't go there. It's extremely dangerous. See the facts below.
The politicians are greedy in Indonesia. Protesters are conducting rallies everyday. They turn to riots easily.
More over, Indonesia is a country where accountants are not accountable. Auditors are blind, corruption is everywhere. Why would anyone want to go to Indonesia? Even Indonesians are terrified with the above facts.
I can argue about the above facts. However, it makes this writing dull. Have you been to Jakarta lately? Perhaps you have seen a bumper sticker that says exactly the same as the title above. The creator is a brilliant Indonesian Tourism Marketer. First of all, the sticker is a very rare souvenir that you can brag about when you return to your country.
Secondly, Indonesia is not for the faint of hearts. Thousands of travel warnings will never prevent the bolds and the braves coming to this archipelago that hides mystery and fortune. They come to challenge the waves, dive the reef, climb the cliff, camp in the deep of tropical forest or travel to the center of earth. Adventure Tourism is the niche market for Indonesia.
Here, the list continues. Indonesia is the home of thousands volcanoes, the biggest tsunami ever and perhaps – with climate changing and global warming – we will see typhoon and other devastating natural phenomena in the future. Do you know that Indonesia has more days with lightning strike that any other place on earth? Ask Indonesian Geophysics and Meteorology Agency. Surely, these are not for tourist. These are for scientists loaded with research grants. Scientists have already come to Indonesia with tourist visa. It would be a lost of income and a theft of local wisdom. Research Tourism is another niche market for Indonesia.
Indonesia is not that bad. It is the most democratic country. Reformasi has marked the world political history as a swift and peaceful power change. Even the US can not outperform the percentage of Indonesian voting participants. Indonesian’s climate is not nice for protester rally. Bet, you rarely find protesters on the street. Consider it a bonus of your visit when you find one.
Some municipalities are well governed. They have become an icon for other municipalities. There is this success story about once a village of sea pirates that became an exporting village. Gambus Laut is located in the remote area in, Asahan Regency in North Sumatra. A team of Indonesian capacity building consultants came to the area. They convinced the villagers to change the course of their lives regardless that they were marginalized by the country and had become sea pirates. They sat together applying the Best Value Approach and redesigning future. There were seldom villagers went on Hajj Pilgrimage then. Now, Gambus Laut can send 11 persons per year on Hajj Pilgrimage. It was the performance standard that the villagers set together and were compelled about.
Gambus Laut is not the only success story in Indonesia. Ministry of Bureaucratic Reforms publishes “Seeing is Believing” – a collection of municipalities that out performs others in applying good governance. These areas are worth visiting to see whether they are for real. These areas are worth research about.
Unlike regular tourism, the research tourism is apparently a very large market. Regular tourists come for short visit of average a week. Researchers stay longer and spend more money. They bring knowledge as well. In return, Indonesia gets more publicity from the research reports published in international journal. It gets more famous, more and more. Not to mentioned that it gets smarter and smarter.
Tourism industry in Indonesia is very pessimistic about the election next year. The two round elections leave them no room for tourism event. Protesters rally and riots will be everywhere. However, it is another attraction for the brave and the bold, who have gone to where no man has ever gone before. The world is curious whether Indonesia can maintain its world record as the most democratic country, especially when North Maluku’s election has been a bad apple in Indonesia reputation as democratic country.
In 1998, journalists all over the world stayed in the hearts of the history in the making in which it was the most dangerous hotel in Indonesia. They spent a lot of money. One student from the University of Indonesia made USD 1,000.- a week by becoming interpreter for these foreign journalists. She is now a journalist for Voice of America.
Media workers and tourism industry shall work hand in hand to make this event bigger than Obama’s election and save Indonesian Tourism Industry.
All beautiful sceneries and cultures in Indonesia mean nothing. Malaysian can say that they have whatever Indonesian has. However there are plenty to watch here that no country has it like Indonesian does. All travel warnings issued by many countries are actually free publicity for Indonesia. It takes the bolds and the braves to unravel the mystery of Indonesian beauty. Take this article as an invitation for the bold and the braves to discover the dangerously beautiful Indonesia.
by Jaha Nababan of Public Management International Institute
