Preserving Harmony in Bali: An Environmental Philosophy Approach to Tackling Over-tourism
Bagus Adi Saputro
, Muhammad Adha
, Siti Azri Ulmi Ramadhanty
A Being is Asking, Jakarta, Indonesia
adisaputrobagus7@gmail.com
Abstract
Bali, a beautiful island in the Indonesian archipelago, has been a centre of world tourism for the last few decades. However, the influx of tourists has contributed significantly to the island's economic development; the phenomenon of 'over-tourism' has taken hold and has been in the spotlight in recent years. Over-tourism is characterized by several negative impacts, including environmental degradation, social disruption, and economic instability. This paper attempts to delve deeper into addressing that issue by using ecological epistemology as a foundation for understanding the interconnectedness of the natural and social worlds. It can be used to understand how over-tourism affects the environment, the local community, and the tourism industry. In addition, cybernetic epistemology is a framework for understanding how systems can rethink and adapt to changes. It can be used to understand how the tourism industry can be managed more sustainably. Therefore, in this context, ecological epistemology and cybernetic epistemology can be used to understand and address the issue of over-tourism in Bali. Furthermore, they offer different perspectives and methods that can be used to complement each other. By using both approaches, we can develop more comprehensive and effective solutions to this complex problem, especially in identifying the relevance of Tri Hita Karana's local wisdom in dealing with over-tourism in Bali. Tri Hita Karana is a Balinese philosophy that emphasizes the harmony between humans, nature, and the gods. It could be argued that this local wisdom could be used to help address the challenges of over-tourism in Bali. Another point to consider through cybernetic epistemology is that we can also analyse the obligation of moral beings in protecting the environment, whether Tri Hita Karana is still relevant in over-tourism, how the epistemology of the environment becomes possible in Tri Hita Karana, and how moral action can be done to create harmonisation.
Keywords
ecological epistemology, cybernetic epistemology, interconnectedness, tourism industry, over-tourism Bali
References
Bukitvista, C. (2023, November 8). Bali tourism statistics 2023: A comprehensive update. Bukit Vista. Retrieved from https://www.bukitvista.com/blog/bali-tourism-statistics-updates
Campbell, R. (2008). How ecological should epistemology be? Hypatia, 23(1), 161–169. doi: 10.1111/j.1527-2001.2008.tb01171.x
Carvalho, I. (2016). Ecological epistemology (EE). Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions, 1-3. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_19-1
Cohen, E. (2019). Over-tourism and social conflict: A complex relationship. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 11(3), 285-288
Connell, J. (2019). Gender, mobility, and inequality: Patterns of travel. Routledge.
Rothenberg, D. (2012). Deep ecology. Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics, 738–744. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-373932-2.00352-5
Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2018). Tourism and water: Interactions, impacts, and challenges. Springer.
Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2020). Pandemics, tourism and global change: A rapid assessment of COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(1), 1–20. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2020.1758708
Krisnadi, L., & Maharani, S. (2021). How over-tourism in Bali destroys Balinese women's livelihood. Proceedings of the 1st International Seminar on Teacher Training and Education, ISTED 2021, 17-18 July 2021, Purwokerto, Indonesia. doi: 10.4108/eai.17-7-2021.2312027
LaPensee, E. (2017). Indigenous women and sex work: The feminist ethics of resistance. University of Arizona Press.
Milano, C., Cheer, J., & Novelli, M. (2018). Overtourism: A growing global problem. The Conversation, July 18, 2018. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/overtourism-a-growing-global-problem-100029
Milano, R., Cheer, J. M., & Novelli, M. (2019). Methodological advances in researching tourism and development: Current and future approaches. Springer.
Miller, Seth T. (2014). Toward An Aesthetic Epistemology: Transforming Thinking Through Cybernetic Epistemology and Anthroposophy. Dissertation: California Institute of Integral Studies.
Naess, Arne. (1973). The Shallow and the Deep, Long-range Ecology Movement. A summary. In Quirky: An Interdisciplinary Jurnal of Philosophy.
Sigala, M., & Leslie, D. (2019). A review of the impact of climate change on the future of tourism and hospitality: A response to Gössling et al. Tourism Review, 74(4), 759-768.
Smith, A., Jones, B., & Garcia, C. (2020). Environmental impacts of over-tourism in Bali. Environmental Studies Journal, 12(4), 210-225.
Suyadnya, I. W. (2022). Tourism gentrification in Bali, Indonesia: A wake-up call for overtourism. MASYARAKAT: Jurnal Sosiologi, 26(2). doi: 10.7454/mjs.v26i2.13401
UNWTO. (2018). The challenges of over-tourism. World Tourism Organization. Retrieved from https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419876
Volo, S. (2020). The dark side of tourism: Over-tourism and its impact on sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(4), 545-562.
Wang, C., & Pfister, R. E. (2019). Managing infrastructure challenges in Bali's over-tourism scenario. Tourism Development Quarterly, 8(2), 115-130.
Yan, H., & Andriotis, K. (2021). Cultural commodification and over-tourism: A Balinese perspective. Cultural Studies Review, 25(3), 305-320.
adisaputrobagus7@gmail.com
Abstract
Bali, a beautiful island in the Indonesian archipelago, has been a centre of world tourism for the last few decades. However, the influx of tourists has contributed significantly to the island's economic development; the phenomenon of 'over-tourism' has taken hold and has been in the spotlight in recent years. Over-tourism is characterized by several negative impacts, including environmental degradation, social disruption, and economic instability. This paper attempts to delve deeper into addressing that issue by using ecological epistemology as a foundation for understanding the interconnectedness of the natural and social worlds. It can be used to understand how over-tourism affects the environment, the local community, and the tourism industry. In addition, cybernetic epistemology is a framework for understanding how systems can rethink and adapt to changes. It can be used to understand how the tourism industry can be managed more sustainably. Therefore, in this context, ecological epistemology and cybernetic epistemology can be used to understand and address the issue of over-tourism in Bali. Furthermore, they offer different perspectives and methods that can be used to complement each other. By using both approaches, we can develop more comprehensive and effective solutions to this complex problem, especially in identifying the relevance of Tri Hita Karana's local wisdom in dealing with over-tourism in Bali. Tri Hita Karana is a Balinese philosophy that emphasizes the harmony between humans, nature, and the gods. It could be argued that this local wisdom could be used to help address the challenges of over-tourism in Bali. Another point to consider through cybernetic epistemology is that we can also analyse the obligation of moral beings in protecting the environment, whether Tri Hita Karana is still relevant in over-tourism, how the epistemology of the environment becomes possible in Tri Hita Karana, and how moral action can be done to create harmonisation.Keywords
ecological epistemology, cybernetic epistemology, interconnectedness, tourism industry, over-tourism BaliReferences
Bukitvista, C. (2023, November 8). Bali tourism statistics 2023: A comprehensive update. Bukit Vista. Retrieved from https://www.bukitvista.com/blog/bali-tourism-statistics-updates
Campbell, R. (2008). How ecological should epistemology be? Hypatia, 23(1), 161–169. doi: 10.1111/j.1527-2001.2008.tb01171.x
Carvalho, I. (2016). Ecological epistemology (EE). Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions, 1-3. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_19-1
Cohen, E. (2019). Over-tourism and social conflict: A complex relationship. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 11(3), 285-288
Connell, J. (2019). Gender, mobility, and inequality: Patterns of travel. Routledge.
Rothenberg, D. (2012). Deep ecology. Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics, 738–744. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-373932-2.00352-5
Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2018). Tourism and water: Interactions, impacts, and challenges. Springer.
Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2020). Pandemics, tourism and global change: A rapid assessment of COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(1), 1–20. doi: 10.1080/09669582.2020.1758708
Krisnadi, L., & Maharani, S. (2021). How over-tourism in Bali destroys Balinese women's livelihood. Proceedings of the 1st International Seminar on Teacher Training and Education, ISTED 2021, 17-18 July 2021, Purwokerto, Indonesia. doi: 10.4108/eai.17-7-2021.2312027
LaPensee, E. (2017). Indigenous women and sex work: The feminist ethics of resistance. University of Arizona Press.
Milano, C., Cheer, J., & Novelli, M. (2018). Overtourism: A growing global problem. The Conversation, July 18, 2018. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/overtourism-a-growing-global-problem-100029
Milano, R., Cheer, J. M., & Novelli, M. (2019). Methodological advances in researching tourism and development: Current and future approaches. Springer.
Miller, Seth T. (2014). Toward An Aesthetic Epistemology: Transforming Thinking Through Cybernetic Epistemology and Anthroposophy. Dissertation: California Institute of Integral Studies.
Naess, Arne. (1973). The Shallow and the Deep, Long-range Ecology Movement. A summary. In Quirky: An Interdisciplinary Jurnal of Philosophy.
Sigala, M., & Leslie, D. (2019). A review of the impact of climate change on the future of tourism and hospitality: A response to Gössling et al. Tourism Review, 74(4), 759-768.
Smith, A., Jones, B., & Garcia, C. (2020). Environmental impacts of over-tourism in Bali. Environmental Studies Journal, 12(4), 210-225.
Suyadnya, I. W. (2022). Tourism gentrification in Bali, Indonesia: A wake-up call for overtourism. MASYARAKAT: Jurnal Sosiologi, 26(2). doi: 10.7454/mjs.v26i2.13401
UNWTO. (2018). The challenges of over-tourism. World Tourism Organization. Retrieved from https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419876
Volo, S. (2020). The dark side of tourism: Over-tourism and its impact on sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(4), 545-562.
Wang, C., & Pfister, R. E. (2019). Managing infrastructure challenges in Bali's over-tourism scenario. Tourism Development Quarterly, 8(2), 115-130.
Yan, H., & Andriotis, K. (2021). Cultural commodification and over-tourism: A Balinese perspective. Cultural Studies Review, 25(3), 305-320.
