Gov't Boosts Tourist Village Homestays Program in 10 New Bali
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22 February 2019 06:32 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism Ministry boosts a program to build tourist village homestays in ten designated priority destinations or known as 10 New Bali.
The ten destinations are Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Tanjung Kelayang in Bangka Belitung, Tanjung Lesung in Banten, Thousand Islands and Old City (Kota Tua) in Jakarta, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru in East Java, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, and Morotai in Maluku.
“Empty or unproductive rooms owned by local people can be promoted as homestay,” said Anneke Prasyanti, the ministry’s head of the Development Acceleration Team of Tourist Village Homestays, Wednesday, February 20.
According to Anneke, homestays are needed to be developed for tourists to stay overnight in a place while experiencing being a local. The time of staying may vary that can up to a year. “Tourist who traveling for a long time cannot necessarily book a room in a hotel, they can stay in a local’s home with local ambiance, with certain payment,” she explained.
Tourism Ministry promotes tourist village homestays as the second point of the three main priorities for the accommodation sector. Homestay, Anneke added, could drive a village economy based on local potential that managed by a local community.
“Because if a tourist stays at that place, local people can sell souvenir or hold other activities,” she mentioned.
Anneke said that the location of tourist village homestays requires to be adjacent to a cultural or natural attraction site. For example, within five kilometers from a beach or waterfall, “or tea or coffee garden as an ecotourism destination.” A homestay should be built also in a local style of architecture, she added.
BRAM SETIAWAN (CONTRIBUTOR)
