Tourism Development in Central Java and Its Responsibility to Local Culture Conservation

Abstract

Tourism is one of many sources of foreign exchange and country’s business opportunities using nature and culture. However it does bring along positive and negative consequence, both in the sphere of natural resources and local culture. In the process of tourism development, which local culture is exploited of its uniqueness, the possible risk is the over exploitation of culture, or the degradation of important sacred rites to be commercial show. On the other hand, when the local culture holders are not having information or not educated and introduced to the risks may happen to their local culture, they may eager to trade their local culture as commodity. This situation may dispose the local culture existence. If the changes affect the sustainability of local tradition or local uniqueness, not only in its existence but also on its meaning, then there will be a problem. This study attempts to explain the possibilities could occur when the doers and planners of tourism are less aware on cultural preservation and focus only on short term economic benefits by sacrificing the main core of the appeal. The case is Dieng Culture Festival event, which will be analyzed in qualitatively methods. Discussion of the results is directed to the tendency of travel catering by local community and how the activities will impact the local culture.