Welcome to Bali
Bali Alternative provide responsible tourism program, the tourism program gives new experience beside mass tourism or traditional tourism. Join on planting is nature interaction, social relationship to be sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism in its purest sense is an industry which attempts to make a low impact on the natural environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals, as well as to promote the conservation of local ecosystems. It is responsible tourism which is both ecologically and culturally sensitive.
1. Alternative Tourism
Story Bali Tourism
In 1908, the year that the last Balinese kingdoms fell, the Dutch opened a tourist bureau in Batavia to promote the Dutch East Indies as a tourist destination. It extended its scope to Bali in 1914.
The first tourist to visit Bali was a Dutch Member of Parliament, Herr H. Van Kol. He is considered a tourist because he was not on official business. He was in Bali to enjoy himself. He had just been to Sumatra and Java and arrived in Bali on 4 July 1902. He visited Klungkung and Karangasem. When he returned to Holland he wrote Uit Onze Kolonien, which was published in Leiden in 1902. It has 826 pages, of which 123 are devoted to Bali.
With the introduction of a regular weekly KPM steamship from Java to Bali in 1924, tourism took off - the first tourists were from the colonial administration. The schedule was that the passengers disembarked on a Friday morning, made a round trip of the island by car and left on Sunday. They slept on the ship or in rest houses. In 1928 the first hotel, the Bali Hotel, was opened in Denpasar. It is still there, still Government owned, now a three star hotel, built on the site of the puputan in 1906.
Over in Europe, the Europeans had gone through the First World War and were keen to forget the rigours they had to endure. Those who could afford it started to travel. In those days travel was a leisurely pursuit; for instance, it took six weeks to go from America to Bali by ship.
Books, articles and postcards whetted their appetites. Exotic photographs began to be published - the first was by a German doctor, who was posted to Bali, Gregor Krause, whose book, Bali 1912, was published in 1920. This book probably inspired Vicki Baum, the novelist, to go to Ubud, meet up with Walter Spies and write A Tale from Bali.
On other a counterpart has arisen hence its name “Alternative Tourism”, concept that is defined as not being mass tourism. Under the alternative tourism concept we can find a series of classifications and types of tourism. What characterizes the concept of “Alternative” is the existence of small or medium companies, created by families or friends, where there is the possibility of more contact with the communities and where most of the times there is a respect for the environment. This concept is generally used by government institutions and academics, and very rarely a traveler will ask in an information centre for places or activities of alternative tourism.
On other a counterpart has arisen hence its name “Alternative Tourism”, concept that is defined as not being mass tourism. Under the alternative tourism concept we can find a series of classifications and types of tourism. What characterizes the concept of “Alternative” is the existence of small or medium companies, created by families or friends, where there is the possibility of more contact with the communities and where most of the times there is a respect for the environment. This concept is generally used by government institutions and academics, and very rarely a traveler will ask in an information centre for places or activities of alternative tourism.
Alternative tourism is a process which promotes a just form of between members of different communities. It seeks to achieve mutual understanding, solidarity and equality among participants.”
Ecoturismolatino is conscious that any kind of tourism has a negative impact over the natural, social, cultural and managerial contexts present in a Natural Protected Area (NPA). It is our belief, on the other hand, that tourism can have a positive impact in the mentioned contexts. A basic principle “EcoTravellers” and “EcoEntrepreneurs” must always practice while visiting or working in a NPA is that of Responsible Tourism. Ecoturismolatino defined Responsible Tourism as a: Travel that takes into consideration the natural, socio-cultural, economic and political contexts of a destination in the search to increase benefits and minimize negative impacts. Ecoturismolatino promotes Responsible Tourism and we invite you to do the same. We want to partnership with you not only to promote Responsible Tourism, but also to take it into action. We think that the first step is to understand the concept of Responsible Tourism. In other words to understand the theory. The second step is to take action. Action which promotes, practices and demands Responsible Tourism in protected natural areas (PNAs). To practice Responsible Tourism is an attitude required when visiting, taking an EcoTour and/or staying in an EcoLodge near or in a protected natural area. We invite you to the adventure of becoming a true EcoTraveller.
