The Existence of Local Specialties as a Support for Tourism in North Bali

Abstract

To this point, tourists are only familiar with a handful of tourism areas in Bali such as Badung, Denpasar, and Ubud. However, gradually, some have begun to look at other potential areas such as North Bali. This opens for new opportunities as tourists may not only enjoy the panorama, culture, and attractions, but also the food. In addition, there are also some travelers who intentionally travel to sample local specialties and food icons. The purpose of this study is to seek popular North Bali local specialties, some legends that are still sought after by customers and foreign tourists. The study employs primary and secondary data. The two kinds of data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, and reports related to employees. The data was analyzed using descriptive qualitative method. This method is employed to describe the data. The study found that there are many types of local specialties in the North Bali area, from appetizers to desserts. However, to date, Belayag and Siobak are still the two most iconic food. The information gathered in this study on Siobak and Belayag has the potential to be used as a reference for branding and other marketing purposes. It is also hoped that the output of the current study can contribute to the development of North Bali as an emerging tourism destination. Pedagogically, the results of the current study can be used as a reference for the archipelago continental cuisine teaching materials in the Hospitality and Tourism Business Management Program at the Bali State Polytechnic (Politeknik Negeri Bali).