The tourism department of Indonesia has named Sanur as a strategic tourism area.
Sanur is already renowned as one of the centres of tourism in Bali, and with the recent announcement by the Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy ministry, the status of the region has been enhanced as one of five strategic tourism destinations in Indonesia.
The other four areas that share a similar status are Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi; Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara; Toraja in South Sulawesi and Bromo in East Java. The five locations would serve to host pilot projects for the development of other destinations in Indonesia.
The announcement elevating Sanur’s status will lead to the ministry conducting more research and direct monitoring activities related to tourism development in Sanur. A research and development programme is to be launched in 2013 and will continue for three years. Sanur, which was a fishing village some time ago, is a hot spot for nature lovers and businesses. It would now see the local communities being involved in the development of tourism.
With the region being declared as a strategic spot, local cultures and festivals would receive a boost from the tourism department. The annual Sanur Village Festival would be afforded much importance in new tourist itineraries. Further, new accommodation norms to be enforced in the area would have to comply with minimum standards set by the department. The area has also been declared free of beggars, scavengers and hawkers.
Ida Bagus Gede Sidharta Putra, chairman of Sanur Development Foundation (YPS), said, ‘A ‘huge wave’ of investors is now targeting Sanur and cluttering the area, because their buildings do not fit to our concept of a village. Business competition is also getting tougher. We have to protect local people and maintain our image as a quality destination. I couldn’t imagine if there was accommodation with hundreds of rooms on a 2,000-square-metre plot of land, like in Kuta. This area would be more crowded. Sanur has been chosen because it has been successful in maintaining its identity amid global challenges.’
