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Banyuwangi pledges to uphold Islamic values amid tourism boom
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Hundreds of Gandrung dancers perform during the Gandung Sewu Festival 2016 at Boom Beach, Banyuwangi, on Sept. 17. As of today, the East Java city holds 53 annual tourism events, among the most in the country, with themes ranging from ecology to culture. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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span ms="" style="font-family:" trebuchet="">In the face of a booming tourism industry in its area, the Banyuwangi regional administration in East Java has pledged to ensure that management of the sector would stay in line with Islamic values to respect the majority Muslim population in the region.
Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas said that strong Islamic culture in East Java made him decide not to allow the establishment of bars and discotheques like those on the neighboring resort island of Bali in an effort to minimize alcohol consumption in the region.
Anwar also said his administration had prohibited the establishment of hotels rated with fewer than three stars. The 'cheap hotels', he added, would potentially become venues for sex transactions.
"For cheaper accommodations, we encourage tourists to stay in homestay facilities. It will be much easier to supervise such venues,” Azwar said Monday during a meeting of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) in Jakarta.
Islamic teachings prohibit the consumption of alcohol and sexual relations out of wedlock.
To attract more tourists to Banyuwangi, Anwar said, the administration was intensifying efforts to promote an eco-tourism concept, by which visitors can explore the region’s natural beauty, food and festivals.
"We see a good example on Langkawi, Malaysia. The island attracts a lot of tourists without offering indecent stuff," he said.
Many years ago, most outsiders would probably only have known Banyuwangi as the place of origin of santet (a traditional black magic). The easternmost city on Java Island, however, has now transformed itself into a regional powerhouse, with tourism and agriculture among its leading sectors.
In 2010 the regency attracted 400,000 tourists, but 2 million tourists visited the region during the first 10 months of this year, 50,000 of them foreigners. (hwa)
