Culture as a Selling Point of Lombok’s Tourism (1/2)

Introduction
Indonesian’s most famous tourist destinations for domestic tourists are Bali, Jogjakarta-Central Java, Mount Bromo-East Java, and Bunaken-Manado. Bali is famous for its beaches and cultures. Jogjakarta is famous for its Javanese Kingdom (Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta), mount Merapi and the well-known Borobudur, one of the seven wonders of the world. Mount Bromo offers the most scenic sun rise on a mountain. Whilst Bunaken lures tourists using its beautiful coral-reef.

Indonesia is a land of diversity. It is rich in its tradition, culture, folklore, landscape, and culinary. This diversity can be utilized as a selling point in domestic tourism. Each tourist destination in Indonesia thus can offer a unique experience for tourists. However, most of tourist destinations rely heavily on scenic view such as beach, mountain, and country side. Culture is only treated as a minor attraction.

The paper aims to show that culture can be offered as a prime attraction of tourist destinations. A marketing strategy along with short explanation on idea of Lombok’s cultural tourism is briefly discussed in the beginning of the paper. In assessing this possibility, the paper uses the theoretical concepts of myth, culinary tourism, remembered experiences, tourist as a child and modes of experience. Furthermore, the paper also discusses the importance of image construction of tourist destinations especially in the dangerous area. In accordance to Indonesia’s geographic condition, the role of infrastructure in supporting domestic tourism is elaborated in the paper.

The Product
The island of Lombok (Spice island) is located east of Bali. Lombok’s tourism consists of beaches, a volcano – Mount Rinjani, and snorkeling in three Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air). Lombok’s residents are mostly Sasak (85%). A tribe that is culturally and linguistically close related to Balinese. The main cultural attractions are the traditional village, the making of various handicrafts, weaving, traditional culinary, and the famous myth of Bau Nyale.

Bau Nyale is a myth regarding Princes Mandalika. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princes called Mandalika. She was forced to marry a prince that is not of her choice. Feeling so much in despair, Princess Mandalika then run away from the kingdom. Poor Princess, the prince chased her until a sea cliff. Princes Mandalika in the end choose to jump into the sea below. Suddenly, not long after she was drown, there are colourful ‘Palolo‘ worms (Eunice Fucata) come out from reefs.

According to Sasak’s believe, the worm brings luck, fortune, and safety. Every Sasak will try to catch as much worm as possible during the Bau Nyale day. The quantity of catchments represent how succeed the catcher will be in that year. The worm itself is edible and indeed there are some local cuisine based on this worm.

Marketing Strategy
Marketing strategy composed of segmenting, targeting, positioning, and differentiating (Holloway, 2004). Segmenting is the process of ‘sub-grouping the total consumer market whose members share common characteristics’ (Holloway, 2004). Based on costs consideration, the segment is middle-class income level. The Indonesian’s high class income level -rich- is usually focusing more on international destinations. Targeting is the process of selecting the customers that we intent to serve (Wikipedia, Target Market). The target market of Lombok cultural tourism is youth generation especially young professionals and students. They like to take adventure, exploring exotic places, and undertake new experiences.

Positioning is the technique by which ‘marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization’ (Wikipedia, Positioning). As the target market are youth emphasizing on young professionals and students, thus the appropriate positioning will be “adventure into new realm”. “Adventure” indicates that they will be involved in several activities that may be different with their daily activities. “New realm” gives a notion of mystery, uniqueness, and exotic. One predicts that young generation likes to be active and exploring new experiences.

Product differentiation is the modification of a product to make it more attractive to the target market (Holloway, 2004). The product differentiates in experiencing the tradition. Tourists are invited to join the traditional-yet-simple dance, to catch the worm, and to weave famous Sasak’s woven. Upon special arrangement, tourists can experience to live in one of two conserved traditional village.

Youth magazine, MTV, and youth clubs will be used as marketing channels. Approach to teachers and schools may serve well as marketing channels. Activities such as study tour and graduation farewell trip can be proposed to high schools. Weekend outing is tailored for the young professionals. Whilst longer vacation period – there are three long vacations in Indonesia, namely Christmas, New Year, and the Eidul Fitr – is offered to young families and honeymooners as well to young professionals and students.

Story Telling
Myth plays an important role in tourism as myth is a story made of mythological language and every tourist attraction is based on myth (Selwyn, 1996). Stories are constructed and are introduced to tourist from the beginning of their journey. Several advertisement campaigns are carefully developed and are carried out capitalizing on myths. Images such as traditional houses, Sasak’s dress, the Sasak, and ancient landscape; movies – advertisement clips – presenting part of Sasak’s legends, dances, and daily life; and sounds of Sasak’s songs and traditional instruments are sent to potential tourist through marketing channels, brochures, and advertisement on national-wide mass media and are put thoroughly in strategic places in Lombok’s area such as airport, seaport, primary tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and roads.

Tourist attractions are arranged to give enchantment using body, nation, object, image, and space (Selwyn, 1996). Tourist mind is seduced by symbolic figures such as statues, signs, and artworks so that tourist feels a “get away” from their daily life into a new realm. Product-knowledge trainings are given to tour operators, guides, and tourist information centres. The trainings cover on Sasak’s history and legends, art performances – dances and songs - and its symbolic messages, mythical places, and Bau Nyale’s ritual.

The prime offer is Bau Nyale’s festival which is celebrated annually and is intensely advertised in national-wide mass media. It takes place in February until March – the worm itself appears only one night around that time. Activities such as traditional dance competition, Princess Mandalika’s story telling and drama contest, concerts of traditional music, and beach-sports are scheduled in a continue phase so that tourists will always have chances to enjoy the festival. There is a performance of Princess Mandalika in every weekend in the Cape Aan near Kuta Beach during the festival seasons. Performers are taken from previous year winner of story telling and drama contest. For the whole period of festival seasons, the Island of Lombok is transformed into a vivid and mythical ambiance.