The Light-Up of Dark Bali Tourism: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Tourism world currently stumbles due to Corona virus case that limits all human activities including those related to traveling. Various efforts in every country have been conducted to rebuild tourism to the normal condition; however, each country has its own obstacles. This study aims to create a strategic model in developing tourism based on cultural values or local wisdom to rebuild tourism passion to support economy. This study is a qualitative study using cultural approaches with ethnomethodology tools. Data are collected through in-depth interview with tourism actors: government and communities represented by traditional village leaders. The qualitative results indicate that cultural values summarized in a harmonization concept—harmony with God, harmony with fellow human being, and harmony with environment—become a model core that influences human behavior in developing tourism, namely: natural tourism, cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, culinary tourism, conference tourism, and so on. Traditional villages become the second pillar in developing tourism and it supports by local government. Another finding is that Bali will conduct a shift in tourism from cultural-based tourism to those that give more emphasis on natural tourism based on cultural and religious values as a promoter. The strategy will support health protocol related to physical distancing between tourists.