Indonesia's complex convergence of tourism and environmental concerns

Jakarta Special Capital Region is home to over 11 million people, and the city is sinking

Indonesia is a developing country with over 17,000 islands and over 275 million inhabitants. Its capital, Jakarta, has sunk around five metres  over the past 25 years. To counter this, the capital is being relocated some 1,236 kilometresto the jungles of East Kalimantan, Borneo. Indonesia is highly exposed to the effects of climate change, extreme weather, sea-level rise and increasing temperatures.  

So, what level of priority do people in Indonesia attribute toward environment and climate change issues?

A 2018 USAID study found that Indonesians do not view the environment as the most pressing issue for their local communities. Environment was ranked fourth after the economy, education, safety, and security.  

These findings are consistent with conversations our Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network delegation to Indonesia had with environmental researchers, students and tourism operators in Jakarta and Jogjakarta.

While there are many people who care about the environment, climate and sustainability, understandably in a developing nation, other concerns take priority. Further, while there are many people and organisations trying to create positive change, we heard it’s often hard to get traction to implement such initiatives due to a lack of support from authorities.   

A precarious reliance on tourism  

Tourism is vital to the Indonesian economy. Angeline Halim, a student reporter at the Bandung Institute of Technology, cites Indonesian Ministry of Tourism statistics of 11.68 million foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in 2023. Bali, in particular, has an economy that is 80 percent reliant on tourism. One in three people in Bali lost their jobs during Covid.  

Tourists visiting one of Bali's most photographed spots, Tanah Lot Temple

Indonesia also a popular travel destination for New Zealanders – of the 58 percent of New Zealanders who have been to Asia, 23 percent have visited or lived in Indonesia. In the year to June 2023 alone, almost 35,000 New Zealanders visited Indonesia, according to Statistics New Zealand data.   

Increasing economic development through tourism, while protecting local cultures, environments and biodiversity is extremely challenging in Indonesia. To give but one example, in Bali there are reports of internationally-owned luxury resorts taking over the limited freshwater supply, meaning it is cut off for local people.  

Tourists come to Indonesia in part due to the attractiveness of Indonesia’s natural beauty and biodiversity. Yet tourism also contributes to climate change and environmental degradation.

Some tourists have little awareness of how their behaviour contributes to the environment they are there to enjoy. Sustainable tourism practices aren’t always recognised by tourism operators or enabled by authorities. 

Efforts to counter the negative impacts of tourism 

Some groups have made strides over time in promoting ecotourism practices and gaining political support to do so. The Indonesian Ecotourism Network (INDECON) was set up in 1995 to develop and support ecotourism in Indonesia by encouraging tourists to minimise their impact and helping local governments and communities in sustainable management practices.

Its founder, Ary S Suhandi, says it initially took five years to convince the government that ecotourism is both beneficial and feasible for Indonesia. Shandi says: “Sustainable tourism development needs strong commitment from the government to assist with matters such as legality, infrastructure, and facilities.” 

Orangutans are big draw cards for tourists in Sumatra and Borneo but all three species are considered critically endangered due to the degradation of their natural habitat

Travellers to Indonesia also have a responsibility to think about their impact. Developing a growing awareness about these issues brings feelings of conflict as a traveller.

I absolutely loved the beauty of the Indonesia islands and the generosity and warmth of the people who hosted the Leadership Network group and shared their knowledge and stories with us. But, as a tourist, I was also aware of my contribution to emissions output, infrastructure issues, waste management, and overcrowding.  

Sustainable tourism initiatives I experienced while in Indonesia 

To protect Indonesia's iconic Borobudur Temple, in 2023 the number of daily visitors to the site was restricted to 1,200

In Indonesia, I learned a lot about the inherent complexities of making positive progress on environmental issues. I also saw a number of instances where huge efforts are being made toward sustainable tourism alongside economic development. Here are a few examples:    

• Sustainable food production and gastrotourism – Javara Indigenous Indonesia 

Social enterprise Javara, run by Helianti Hilman, is focused on protecting Indonesia’s food biodiversity by supporting local communities to export sustainably produced food to 35 countries.

Javara has an emphasis on empowering indigenous food producers, including through equipping them with the skills they need to create gastro tourism experiences.

Helianti explained to us that this is part of the bigger picture of supporting approaches in tune with nature, returning assets to local people and empowering them to share their own cultural stories with visitors as they determine.  

• Protecting a world heritage site – Borobudur Temple 

In Jogjakarta we were incredibly privileged to an early morning tour of the concurrently impressive, imposing and peaceful Borobudur, a ninth century Buddhist temple. Here we learned that, in 2023, entry was drastically reduced to 1,200 people per day to help protect the site and its surroundings.  

• Reducing waste while providing tasty and healthy food – Bali Eco Deli 

While on Nusa Lembongan Island, I visited a beautiful café called Bali Eco Deli. The Deli set up a recycling scheme for the island and offers discounts for customers if they bring in plastic bottles for recycling. Taking an environmentally sustainable business approach does not mean piutting profits second — the owner of the café says it is something that attracts tourists to the Deli and inspires them to leave positive reviews online.  

This article was written for Asia in Focus by research consultant and government policy analyst Anita Perkins. The Foundation's Asia in Focus initiative provides expert analysis on Asia and New Zealand-Asia relations.