Community Based Tourism
Finding the Euilibrium in the COMCEC Context
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 Increased investment in infrastructure (e.g. improvement in roads, lighting,
telecommunications and sewage systems).
Challenges:
 The need for consensus and a common vision for tourism development among the
members of the community.
 The conflict between community priorities and market orientation (competitiveness
and economic sustainability of the destination).
 Need for code of conduct to prevent negative socioeconomic impacts.
 Need for private sector involvement for better access to marketing networks.
Source: (SNV and the University of Hawaii, 2013)
Jaringan Ekowisata Desa (JED) was initiated in 2002 as a grassroots community-based
tourism project by the network of four Balinese village communities, under the guidance of
Wisnu Foundation, an environmental Balinese NGO. The villages in the network were
Kiadan Pelaga, Dukuh Sibetan, Tenganan Pegringsingan and Ceningan Island. The
Indonesian Ecotourism Network (INDECON) and Rufford Small Grants for Conservation are
also cited as the supporters of the project. This initiative was mainly in response to the
mass tourism activities prevalent in Bali, which largely neglected the locals’ interests.
Principles of the JED, as defined in the official web page, is “1) planning, democratic
decision making and management by the local communities; 2) channelling of funds from
tourism to community development and environmental conservation; 3) minimizing
adverse effects of tourism on the environment; and, 4) facilitating desirable cross-cultural
exchange between the locals and outsiders.”
Some activities that took place as a part of the project were training for tourist guiding and
first-aid, printing of promotional brochures, poster and banners, direct employment of
some villagers as staff for the JED and media outreach in national and international press.
CASE 5- Bali, Indonesia: Village Ecotourism Network - Jaringan Ekowisata
Desa (JED) Association
Best Practice Point: Facilitation of bottom-up approach by a grassroots effort
JED is founded upon and facilitated by the traditional social fabric of the villages. The
preexisting social and religious organizations and solidarity among the members of the
community enabled a bottom-up emergence of community-based tourism. Product
marketing and sales are carried out entirely by the JED, allowing the organization to
control and limit visitor inflow, retain revenues as injections to individual household
income as well as collective funds for community development environmental
protection. Furthermore, strong people-focus is integral to the transparent and
democratic decision making processes.