Borobudur as priority tourism destination: How political economy affects world cultural heritage site management and heritage preservation

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate how the political economy of tourism development at the national level is affecting the management of a World Heritage Site, its rural localities and the surrounding communities. The study focuses on Borobudur priority tourism destinations, which is designated as part of Indonesia's efforts to increase international tourists' arrivals Various development programs - mainly physical and infrastructural take place in a bid to push more tourism activities in this World Heritage Site. Some of these recent developments have brought concern for the preservation of the site and values attached to it. This study uses interviews to gather information from representatives of organizations at local, national, and international level involved in the preservation of the cultural heritage site, tourism, and in managing the priority destination. The results indicate that the cultural heritage site is affected by the apparent political economy of tourism in which tourism interests dominate the decisions and policies concerning the area. There are also issues of unclear shared vision about the priority destination translated into action plans and division of responsibilities among institutions involved, indefinite decision on the institution to lead the management, and differing perceptions of development where the dominant notion is physical and infrastructural development.