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THK and Hotels (7)
Observing
the Community’s Reaction
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 five years?
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.
Originally,
THK Awards activity gave rise to less elegant
reaction in the community (Bali). Some remarked
vulgarlities that there is no more tri hita
karana in Bali. The only one is, according
to their opinion, tri hita karana, makejang
ngangguang kita (they all act as per their
own accord). On other occasions, there is
another who asks,” Why should we implement
THK in activity that involves hotels? THK
is a sacred thing, isn’t it? And, on
the contrary, hotels can only seek to attain
hard cash, sexual parties, spirits and drugs.
It does not put forward the principles of
togetherness and harmony as mandated in the
THK concept.”
Such questions, to our mind, are not merely
intended to the Program Organizer and Jury
Team of THK Awards, but to challenge us entirely—tourism
practitioners and Balinese community, including
the holder of public authority. Further, it
is closely associated with the assumption
that THK is otherworldly, seems to be caused
by an understanding pertaining to the elements
of harmonious relationship between fellow
humans and God. While, condemnation that hotels
only pursues cash, sexual party, spirits and
drugs is more emotional due to the lack of
information and understanding on the existence
of the hotel.
To respond to those questions, we have executed
some tens times of discussion, seminars, workshops
with speakers and participants consisting
of the group of tourism practitioners and
theoreticians, religious figures, cultural
observers, educators, environmentalists NGO’s
and so forth. In addition, we also actively
carry out public hearing with provincial and
regency/municipal House of Representatives.
In short, negative reaction gradually calms
down, and right now the THK Awards program,
with the exception of obtaining positive response
from tourism society and the home government,
also received endorsement from Asia-Pacific
tourism board (PATA) and World Tourism Organization
(WTO).
By the endorsement means that THK Awards has
officially taken part in gracing the activity
of such Asia-Pacific and world tourism organization.
For Bali, such endorsement obviously has a
thoroughly substantial sense. It is called
substantial because history will mark down
that this PATA’s and WTO endorsement,
other than proving the presence of positive
response of tourism market in Asia-Pacific
region, also comes to be concrete evidence
on the universality of THK concept constituting
the local wisdom of the Balinese. This is
definitely of great consequence for development
of Bali as world tourist destination in the
future.
Its challenge, Bali should order and arrange
its physical spatial layout, social and cultural
life more diligently as mandated in the THK
concept. And, tourism as the locomotive of
Bali’s development should come forward.
While, hotels as backbones of the tourism
industry form an integral-important part of
the tourism product and the most complete
tourism services received by guests among
other services should also have the same responsibility.
Even, it is hotels that should be the most
grateful on the endorsement from PATA and
WTO because—as mentioned above—hotels
constitute the backbone of the tourism industry,
the most important-integral part of the tourism
product and the most complete tourism services
received by guests among other services. If
the backbone, important-integral part and
complete tourism product comes into contact
with positive values mandated in the THK concept,
by and large, it will give influence positively
as well as to the entire tourism system. (BTN/B.
Ashrama) |
