Bali's ancient 'subak' landscape now a hook for visitors
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Despite tremendous threats to Bali's subak traditional farming system, scholars and community leaders strongly believe that its landscape of terraced paddies will continue to exist and flourish on the island.
I Gde Pitana, head of resource development at the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, said subak had received a boost from changing tourism patterns on Bali.
“‘Sun-sea-sand’ leisure activities are no longer the main reason for [tourists] to visit the island. They seek activities that are based on nature, spiritualism, health and wellness,” Pitana said, adding many also came to the island for conventions, shopping and business.
Pitana and numerous experts on tourism and agriculture agreed that Bali must closely integrate its tourism with agriculture.
“This [integration] will give added value to the culture and tradition of Bali, including subak,” Pitana said.
The preservation of subak and agriculture sites would preserve the stunning natural landscape of the island, which would eventually attract a lot of tourists to the sites, added Pitana.
Pitana was referring to Charlie Sampson, a tourism advocate who actively promotes rural tourism that embraces farming, education, culture and heritage as well as spiritual activities.
“Integrating tourism and agriculture will have a transformational effect at the grass-roots level – local residents and farmers – as tourism will help improve their socio-economic condition,” he said.
Agricultural tourism, he said, would also enable interaction with local people for a more enriching tourist experience. The existence and preservation of subak gave added value to the island’s culture and tourism.
“But efforts to preserve and strengthen subak organisations must come from the local community rather than the top levels of government and other institutions,” said Pitana, who is also professor of tourism at Udayana University in Denpasar.
“Local communities must be encouraged to enhance their own potential, to manage their own properties, solve problems and create multifarious opportunities to improve their living conditions. Subak preservation is one of the examples that must be based on community needs and demands,” the professor said.
