The History of Tourism in Bali
Bali tourism is very well known in foreign countries, so that’s why most of the population of Bali has a livelihood and business that is engaged in tourism. Such as hotels, restaurants, tour guides, artists, craftsmen, and many others. Tourism in Bali is developing very rapidly, because the island which has the nickname as The Island Of The Gods has a variety of tourist attractions, such as traditional arts, customs, traditional architecture and exotic tropical nature.
Bali became known to the world, telling a long history. This history also influences the development of Bali tourism until now. The main thing that makes the island of Bali famous for its tourism, certainly not because of the beach, mountains and other natural charm. But Bali tourism develops because of its aesthetic value, cultural arts based on Hinduism, and the flexibility and tolerance of Balinese people.
The history of the development of Bali tourism can be traced since the arrival of sailors from the Netherlands on the island of Bali in 1597 which was chaired by a Captain of a Dutch sailor named Cornelius Houtman, and this was the year the Balinese first made contact with Europeans. When Cornelius Houtman wanted to leave Bali, many of the crew did not want to leave Bali. They are very interested and fascinated by the prosperity and culture of Balinese people. But when the Dutch returned to Bali a few years later, the Dutch were no longer interested in the arts and culture of the Balinese. But the Dutch are more interested in making a profit by exploiting the island and the Balinese people.
In 1710 there was an upheaval in the Balinese kingdom which was controlled by the Gelgel kingdom in the Klungkung regency. This upheaval moved the Gelgel royal palace to the north and named Semarapura. Many small kingdoms in Bali are not satisfied with the government of the Semarapura kingdom. Making many small kingdoms in Bali want to create their own government, by separating themselves from the Semarapura kingdom.
This situation was seen by the Dutch as a great opportunity to conquer Bali, namely by dividing the Balinese unity. The Sasak tribe on the island of Lombok was part of the Balinese kingdom, and the Dutch made the Sasak Lombok tribe separate from the Balinese kingdom by rebellion.
The battle between the Balinese royal forces in Lombok against the Sasak tribe is inevitable. Because the Balinese kingdom was divided, the defeat of the rebellious Sasak tribe was inevitable. The Dutch also controlled the northern island of Bali, which made the Balinese kingdom in the south, only a matter of time for the Dutch to conquer.
In 1906, a Dutch warship landed on the coast of Sanur and precisely on September 20, 1906 a major war was inevitable. Armaments from the Dutch that were more modern, made the Badung royal army suffer defeat. Badung royal troops who lost the war were then arrested by the Dutch and exiled.
The defeat of the war against the Netherlands was a shame for The King of Badung. So the Puputan War (war to death) is fought by the king of Badung. This war event is now known as the Puputan Badung. The Dutch also attacked the Tabanan kingdom and the Klungkung kingdom and the War Of Puputan was also unavoidable. Kingdoms that do not fight bellows and surrender are the kingdom of Gianyar and the Kingdom of Karangasem. Therefore King Of Gianyar and King Of Karangasem were allowed by the Dutch to maintain their power on condition that it was under Dutch control. With the end of the Puputan War, all areas on the island of Bali became Dutch territory.
The Puputan War carried out by the Balinese succeeded in tarnishing the reputation of the Netherlands in the international world. To make up for the mistake, the Dutch did not carry out a forced cultivation system on the island of Bali, but instead promoted the island of Bali to the international world. This is where the beginning of the development of the island of Bali as a place of tourism.
The development of Bali tourism starts from the number of foreign artists who choose to settle in the tourist area of Ubud to pursue their arts. Artworks from foreign artists who settled in Ubud, directly promoting the island of Bali as an exotic place to visit.
The rapid development of Bali’s tourism occurred in the 70s. When surfers find many waves on the island of Bali which is very good to use for surfing. These surfers indirectly promoted Bali island tourism in the 1970s.
The development of Bali tourism starts from the number of foreign artists who choose to settle in the tourist area of Ubud to pursue their arts. Artworks from foreign artists who settled in Ubud, directly promoting the island of Bali as an exotic place to visit.
The rapid development of Bali’s tourism occurred in the 70s. When surfers find many waves on the island of Bali which is very good to use for surfing. These surfers indirectly promoted Bali island tourism in the 1970s.
Source: https://javaprivatetour.com/rdblog/9-the-history-and-development-of-tourism-in-bali.html