The Sustainable Development of Cultural-Based Agrotourism in Toraja
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International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426 The Sustainable Development of Cultural-Based Agrotourism in Toraja Muhammad Hasyim 1Hasanuddin University, Cultural Sciences Faculty, Perinstis Kemerdekaan KM. 10 Makassar South Sulawesi, 90235, Indonesia [email protected] Abstract: This research is aimed to reveal the potential agrotourism tourism in Toraja Regencies on foreign tourists’ perspective (Europe). The present study seeks to explain the aspect of foreign tourists on tourism, culture and traditions that have become typical tourism of Toraja, and their perspectives on the potential of agrotourism development as an alternative trip. This research was carried out using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research data collection was performed through the interview, utilizing questionnaires distribution to foreign tourists visiting in Toraja. The respondents’ selection was conducted randomly by meeting foreign tourists in tourist attractions and hotels where they stay. The results of the research demonstrate that foreign tourists’ tour visit time in Toraja is four days. Two days are for the round trip, from the airport to Toraja, and vice versa), and a two-day tour in Toraja. On the second day of the tour, the travellers feel boredom for visiting the same tourist attractions: Toraja cemetery and traditional house (Tongkonan). Therefore, to develop Toraja traditional cultural tourism that has always been promoted by the regency government of Toraja Regency and Travel Agencies. Foreign tourists should be provided with a combination of variant tourism, i.e. agrotourism. Based on the foreign tourists’ perspective to increase the attraction of tourists to Toraja tourism; the cultural and natural-based agrotourism is an alternative solution as variant tourism in the development of Toraja local tourism. Keywords: agrotourism, tourism, culture, natural tourism, Toraja 1. Introduction intercity bus. Nevertheless, for the increasingly shorter foreign tourists' visits to Indonesia, they prefer other tourist Indonesia has always been one of the world's tourism destinations, such as Yogyakarta, Lombok, and Wakatobi destinations for its main tourism destinations. One of them is Islands (Gatranews, April 23, 2014). Toraja, located in South Sulawesi Province. Toraja in South Sulawesi is no less unique or beautiful than Bali. Former Lokot Ahmad Enda, the Secretary-General of Tourism President Suharto in the 1970s said that Toraja was a popular Destination Development, Ministry of Tourism and Creative tourist destination after Bali. Toraja's name is highly popular Economy (Kemenparekraf, in Gatranews, April 2014), said among tourists, especially European tourists; hence the that Toraja has only been known for its cultural tourism with increasing tourists' visit to this region. funeral ceremony, material culture – for example, indigenous cemetery and Toraja traditional house (Tongkonan) – that's As a result of the financial crisis in 1998, the number of why Toraja government conducts a promotional tour with a tourists in the destination area decreases. For instance, focus on the cultural tradition of Toraja. In addition, the tour Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), South Sulawesi Province, packages arranged and offered by Tour and Travel Bureau in noted that tourist visit to South Sulawesi Province throughout South Sulawesi still offer tourist attraction as the main December 2015, decreased by 13.79 per cent from the attraction in promotional activities, such as Lemo (new previous month – from 1,465 people into 1,263 thousand cemetery on the cliffs), Kete-Kesu (Tongkonan house people. Head of South Sulawesi Province BPS, Nursam settlement), Londa (a cave for storing coffins), Sangalla Salam, stated that five largest state visiting Indonesia through (Tongkonan home settlement, and Sa' dan to Barana (central the entrance of Makassar in December last year include weave). Malaysia, Singapore, United States, China and France. The number of tourists from these five countries is 1,105 people Solutions done by the government of South Sulawesi or about 87, 49 per cent of the total foreign tourists entered Province is constructing new airports, replacing the old through Makassar entrance airport located on a hill which depends on the weather, and (http://makassar.radiosmartfm.com/). the foreign tourists visit, especially foreign tourists, can be improved. The 2,500 meters-long new airport located in Since the Dutch colonial era, Indonesia has had three main Buntu Kunyi, Mengkendek District, Tana Toraja Regency, tourist destinations, i.e. Bali, Toba, and Toraja. Due to the will be able to accommodate large aircraft, such as Boeing. It financial crisis in 1998, the number of tourists in the three is estimated that the end of 2015 will complete the destinations has decreased but then followed by an increase. development of IDR 400 billion-worth Toraja airport. However, Toraja remains behind Bali and Toba. One of the Therefore, Toraja travel transport lines can be opened reasons is the geography factor, i.e. quite far to reach, and directly to Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore or other international increasingly short visit time of foreign tourists to Toraja, airports, and the level of tourist visits might return to 170 especially from European tourists. The foreign tourists visit thousand visits per year. Besides air travel, land travel is also Toraja from Makassar by land, taking about 8 to 9 hours improved. The previously one-lane road infrastructure is drive (320 km), either using a rented minibus or regular made into two-lane roads with separators. That 25-meter Volume 8 Issue 6, June 2019 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Paper ID: ART20198602 10.21275/ART20198602 610 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426 wide provincial roads are built across Makassar to Pare Pare the Toraja people as farmers in remote areas by tour-tracking – which is approximately 100 kilometres - are entirely (Hasyim et al, 2019). concrete. The rest, from Parepare to Tana Toraja, is included two-lane district roads for the two-way vehicle Efforts to develop cultural-based agrotourism in Toraja (www.torajaparadise.com/). which utilize the agricultural potential and involve villagers can be community empowerment, in line with tourism-based A survey supported the NGO Swisscontact in August 2014 community empowerment. Community empowerment in declares that travellers choose nature as the biggest attraction question is agrotourism that might include the role and of Toraja. The funeral procession which has always been the aspirations of Toraja people alongside the utilization of the appeal in the promotion is not the primary purpose. potentials of its natural and human resources. According to tourists' preference, they like the nature of Toraja more, which is still considered pristine, such as the 2. Research Problems scenery of paddy fields, coffee and clove plantations, and the daily life of Toraja people as farmers. The tourists travelled The questions of the problems proposed in this research are: to Toraja do not only wish to watch Rambu Solo, but also to How is the perception of foreign tourists towards tourist explore the paddy fields, planting paddy, trekking to the attractions in Toraja? Does cultural-based agrotourism have coffee plantations or picking coffee, cloves, feeding livestock the potential to be developed, and what are the variants and (buffaloes and pigs), and enjoying local drink, such as sweet attractions in Toraja? How is the development model of palm wine and coffee and traditional food cultural-based agrotourism in Toraja? (www.torajaparadise.com/). The development of cultural-based tourism in Toraja has the Referring to the survey, one of the elements of the purpose to explore the agricultural and cultural potentials of agricultural sector, which is not optimally managed, is agrotourism, to construct a development model for cultural- cultural-based agrotourism. The concept of agrotourism is based agrotourism, to provide knowledge on agrotourism as tourism activity involving the use of agricultural land or one of the alternatives, and to foster the community in facilities related to the main attraction for tourists. The realizing the tourism synergy using agriculture that can result potential of agrotourism is fairly perspective. Apart from in the growth of social, economy and organizations of the being one of the most significant economic growth, it is also city. likely able to be the growth driver of other construction sectors, such as plantation, agriculture, trade, industry and Meanwhile, the benefits to be achieved by the development others. Agrotourism potential is addressed from the natural of cultural-based agrotourism are: to be suggestions for the beauty of agriculture and production in the agricultural, government on various activities in the planning and which is entirely developed in Toraja. Cultural-based development of agrotourism; a media to broaden the insight agrotourism is a series of tourist activities that utilize the of the community, employers and the government on multiple agrarian potential as a tourist attraction, be it the agricultural types and forms of agro-tourism; an attempt to synergize the area scenery, its uniqueness, diversity of production activities agriculture, tourism and culture (values of local wisdom).