Introducing DWE to Pengotan Traditional Village in Bangli

2012 was the first time Wisnu got to know the Pengotan Traditional Village. Some of the activities carried out together were socio-cultural research, clean water procurement, and the preparation of a village strategic plan. The vision of Pengotan Village based on the Pengotan Village Strategic Plan prepared in 2013 is to become an open, creative, advanced, independent village while still adhering to customary wisdom and tradition. This vision can be achieved by maintaining and preserving traditions, developing human resource capacity/competence, developing biodiversity, increasing access to capital and business, and maintaining the physical environment of the village. On Sunday, April 14, 2024, Wisnu visited the Pengotan Traditional Village again, precisely in Baliwoso. This visit was intended to introduce the concept of the Ecological Tourism Village (DWE) and invite this village to become part of the Village Ecotourism Network (JED). This is one of the efforts of the Pengotan Traditional Village to implement the village plan that has been prepared, one of which is the development of agricultural and tourism competencies. Currently, Pengotan Traditional Village has tourism infrastructure and management, but does not yet have a village tourism mechanism.

The introduction of the DWE concept was carried out by Mr. Made Suarnatha, starting with the story of the development of tourism in Bali, since 1908 by the Dutch Tourism Bureau, until the 1970s by the Indonesian Government in collaboration with international consultants from France (SCETO) which produced the Bali Cultural Tourism Master Plan.

And now tourism has become an addiction for Bali:

• The economy is increasing, but for whom: hotel chains, until the Balinese people are lulled into massive tourism which causes urgency. Economically, it can be seen that the money in circulation is increasing, income is increasing, infrastructure is increasing.
• Socio-cultural: increasingly broad with positive and negative influences, increasingly well-known and more permissive, many compromises that are unknowingly excessive.
• Environment: there is a change in land use and ownership, water crisis, garbage and waste. Because tourism requires infrastructure to be able to run.

The people who enjoyed big profits from the Dutch Colonial era until now are not the Balinese people, but only a handful of outsiders. The village is being squeezed by global dynamics, namely policies (which are not on their side), investment (outside), and climate change.

The DWE concept is designed to build individual awareness and understanding in a balanced and sustainable village life space (cenik lantang), a place to share information and experiences, and have resilience in the space of life.

Becoming a DWE means that the community as the owner knows and understands the potential they have, resource management is based on the principles of togetherness and justice (collective management), and sustainability is guaranteed by maintaining the sacredness of the village through documentation and learning media. This can be achieved through organization that includes identification through spatial/socio-cultural mapping, preparation of resource planning-processing-utilization, and documentation and learning of local village knowledge.

During the discussion, it was conveyed that the spirit to build tourism is a challenge in itself, it requires self-awareness, and it cannot live alone. Each village has its own uniqueness. Pengotan Traditional Village has 35 types of bamboo, it is necessary to explore the relationship between bamboo and life and culture, for example bamboo as the best oxygen producer and stress reliever.

There are several things that need to be prepared as an initial step in developing ecotourism, one of which is increasing community knowledge and skills. Currently, what is widely sought is a place that is safe, comfortable, cool, and provides a sense of health. There is no need to expect many people to come, but it must be adjusted to the existing capacity. The type of tourism that will be developed depends on the choice of Pengotan Traditional Village, whether to open widely or impose limits on the number and quality of guests.

One thing that needs to be remembered and implemented is the principle of ecotourism, that tourism is just a bonus. Let us remain faithful to maintaining the legacy entrusted by our ancestors for future generations, and in the future.