THK and Hotels (12)
Tourism and Perspective Ambivalence

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.

The THK concept, as has been spelled out again and again in previous articles, constitutes life philosophy of Balinese community that practises Hinduism. Though it implies ‘the possession’ of Balinese (Hindu) ethnic, THK is composed of universal interpretation as a place to stand for sustainable development. Then, what meaning and sense do ‘sustainable’ signify? Simply re-read the previous articles of part 1, 2 and 9.
Except for being a life philosophy, THK has been made into the fundamentals of development of Bali for so long that invigorated in a number of regional legislations. For example, there are ones pertaining to Cultural Tourism; to Master Plan of Provincial Spatial Layout; to Principal Guidelines of Development; to Strategic Plan of Bali Development; to Environmental Pollution Control; to Architectural Requirements of Balinese Building and so forth.
By the stipulation of THK as the fundamential of Bali development and a number of Regional Legislations, it has normatively obliged all components of Bali—government (public sector), business practitioners (private sector) and community—to implement the THK concept as parameter of every single daily activity, particularly those that relate to development, whether they are concerning with the order and spatial arrangement (industry, hotel et cetera); social life order (social organization) or spiritual affairs.
In line with those matters, we should agree first that only by seriousness in conducting those obligations will we be able to give assurance to physical environment and Balinese culture—that comes to be the foremost asset of tourism development—in order to remain being attractive and everlasting through the ages.
Have those obligations been integrally implemented? Certainly not! Some people still assume, even condemn the tourism industry to be destroyer of environment and Balinese culture, so it is contradictive to THK ideology. Such assumption and condemnation are obviously neither 100% right nor 100% wrong. Definitely, ambivalent perspective to tourism is still fecund.
Many experts say that tourism very much promises economic prosperity for the community. Tourism, other than being able to become preservation medium of nature and culture, does not annihilate culture, either, and even drives inspiration in the process of enrichment, conservation, adaptation, reconstruction and re-interpretation. Next to positive perspective, no less people that sentence the tourism to be most potential to inflict misfortune for the future of Bali and its people. Concept of balance and harmony in the THK-based management of Cultural Tourism is assumed to beyond the bounds of possibility. The slogan ‘Tourism for Bali, not Bali for Tourism’ is considered to swerve considerably, too. As consequence, it does not result in balance and harmony and does not prepare the Balinese as the leading actor of tourism business in Bali, either. However, it established exploitation and commercialisation, environmental damage and cultural degradation. The Balinese as the leading actor of culture is progressively set apart and even flung away from the stage of tourism.
Exploration and exploitation toward the nature and Balinese culture looks more critical indeed right now if compared to that of in the former time at the beginning of independence period, moreover during the period up to the 1980s. Sanur, Ubud, Nusa Dua, Kuta and other alluring beaches that used to be everlasting and sacralized do not indicate the heart’s breath of Bali anymore at this time.
Subsequently, is it fair if all negative sides and dark accounts, damages and mistakes are burdened to the shoulder of tourism businessmen (hotelier, restaurateur, travel bureau entrepreneurs and the like)? If yes, where is possibly the position, rights and duties of public authority holders in this case? Where is also the position, rights and duties of the community as actor and supporter of Balinese culture?
While waiting for responses of those crucial questions, we altogether (community, business practitioner, government) should agree to prevent the arising of more deadly damage. And, through the THK Awards program, we drive the tourism industry to earnestly implement the THK concept that put forward these togetherness and harmonious principle. We should be confident that by implementing the THK concept, we do not only secure the physical and non-physical environment at local and regional level, but also actively get involved in resolving the most actual four global issues today, namely that of environment, democratisation, human rights and protection against intellectual property rights. (BTN/B. Ashrama)