Quality Tourism Increases Citizens' Income And Reduces Environmental Burden

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno said the presence of the Bali Waste Cycle (BWC) is a form of support in the form of a tourism development strategy and creative economy based on quality environmental sustainability.

"Quality tourism, apart from encouraging social impact on the community in terms of income, also reduces the burden on the environment," said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno as quoted by Antara, Sunday, May 15.

In 2019 BWC was formed to participate in managing waste thoroughly from upstream to downstream.

As a facilitator, the company provides education, training, and coaching to the community, waste banks, TPS3R (Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle Waste Management), and at TOSS (Local Waste Processing Sites) locations in banjars and villages.

With the presence of BWC, it is expected to reduce the circulation of plastic waste by 30 percent and waste management by 70 percent by 2025.

Menparekraf assessed that BWC is an application of the teachings of Tri Hita Karana, a concept in Hinduism which has three main subsystems, namely Parhyangan, Pawongan, and Palemahan.

Parhyangan is a human relationship with God, can be interpreted the same as a mindset / concept / value. The Pawongan means human relations with others or referred to as social elements. Finally, Palemahan, which is defined as the relationship between humans and the natural environment, is the same as the artifact element.

This teaching emphasizes living side by side with each other, greeting each other, full of tolerance and a sense of peace.

"Tri Hita Karana is the direction (development) of Bali's economy going forward. We will also use the Tri Hita Karana concept by transforming from an economy that is too dependent on tourism to a more diversified economy, one of which is the green economy," said Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno.

Sandiaga also appreciated the success of BWC in creating job opportunities for the people of Denpasar and its surroundings by employing 60 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hopefully this movement will continue to grow, improve the community's economy, and be in accordance with the Tri Hita Karana," said Sandiaga Uno.