THK and Hotels (1)

Understanding the Sense of Sustainability

Introduction

Tri Hita Karana Tourism Awards & Accreditations (THK Awards) in 2005 is five years old. However, there are people still putting it into question, “What is the background of executing this program? Why does this program target hotels? Does not the hotel ‘only’ appeal for capital and profit/loss, while THK puts forward harmony and togetherness principles? Is it possible that both poles—capital and profit on the one hand, while harmony and togetherness spirit on the other hand—can coalesce? So, what is the concrete result of the THK Awards after it has been five years old?
Bali Travel News, starting from the 14th edition carries comprehensive articles around the carrying out of THK Awards. Based on the background of the program launched, its method and execution mechanism up to the positive impact comes into view after five years.

Sustainable development now becomes the actual issue worldwide. Being aware or not, as soon as we talk about ‘sustainability’ actually has led to, even, existed within the circle of tri hita karana (THK) philosophy. Because, THK indeed puts forward harmony and togetherness principles. Harmony means balance, concordant and everlasting in the long term. While, the course of togetherness principles should be positive, not just concurrent without objective and direction. Concurrence in the THK context should be directed to positive objectives to secure, revitalize and preserve the parhyangan (thinking pattern/concept/spiritual subsystem), pawongan (social subsystem) and palemahan (physical/material/artefactual subsystem).
Sustainable tourism, for instance, means a tourism activity that can last in the long term. Within such everlastingness, tourism can deliver benefit to the community either in economic and socio-cultural or in the physical-environmental sector. In other words, the enjoyment felt on these days in tourism sector may not reduce the enjoyment that should be felt by the next generation (Debudpar, 2004; and Shady, 1991).
By observing attentively such understanding and definition, it can be stated that sustainable tourism, has to get positive commitment from the government, it should also get sympathy and positive support from wider community. McGinnis (1999) mentions that positive support from the community toward a concept constitutes good governance, namely a social condition of which the community precisely knows the problem and its solution. In other words, the community precisely knows what to do to overcome the problems.
THK Awards program is organized and held by Bali Travel News (BTN) and an example of case of the implementation of good governance in the tourism sector in Bali. It is indicated by the very intense interaction between BTN, THK Awards Team and tourism components in Bali. Dialogue and discussion occur within all of the components seemingly lead to one point, namely how to create harmony and togetherness in the management of tourism component internally and also in relation of such tourism components to physical environment (palemahan), social environment (pawongan) and the Creator (parhyangan).
Harmonic conditions within the circle of togetherness sense constitutes a universal essence in the implementation of THK concept. This essence of universalism is expected to be carried out by tourism components in Bali through the execution of THK Awards. We are confident, by the arising of internal intention to execute the THK concept in tourism sector will become a significant portent that tourism sector in Bali will sustain.
A more concrete and focused example is in the investment of hotel industry predominantly initiated with a financial analysis. This analysis is performed to give illustration whether the investment in sectors to fulfill the aspect of business feasibility.
Theoretically, it can be mentioned that investment in hotels or other businesses in the tourism sector will be decided through an accurate analysis. The most popular analysis is known as B/C (benefit and cost) Ratio, NPV (net present value) and IRR analysis. Then, in the operational process, the management party will implement SWOT analysis (to know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company) in order that the asset can operate maximally.
Furthermore, to make the asset in this sector sustainable, it should be executed the analysis based on THK to find out its harmonic and togetherness values. Only by an harmonic condition and togetherness atmosphere will any asset in tourism sector (and also in other sectors) be able to sustain. How is such analysis performed? Simply read about this in the upcoming edition! (BTN/B. Ashrama)