HPI Supports Proposed Ban On Tourist Visits To Temples

Denpasar, Bali, Nov 6 (Antara) - The Bali branch of the Indonesian Tourist Guide Association (HPI) supports Governor Made Mangku Pastika`s proposal to ban tourists from visiting temples over the next five years. "It is necessary for us to maintain the purity and sanctity of the temples, and thus, we support the governor`s proposal because it will not diminish the attractiveness of Bali," local HIP spokesman Amos Lilo said here on Wednesday. According to him, tourism and temples in Bali are inseparable, but it should be remembered that the Balinese people have a moral responsibility to uphold the sanctity of their temples. Lilo opined that the governor`s proposal was a good way to allow the Balinese people to keep their commitment to maintain the purity and sanctity of the temples. "The proposal is good for the Balinese people to realize that the temples are a sacred place for them to pray and not to be commercialized by irresponsible parties," he noted. According to him, the tourists visiting Bali were, in general, respectful of sacred places, and if they were told to view these sites from a distance, they complied. "Therefore, in principle, we support Governor Pastika`s proposal because this is a local condition that we have to respect. If, in the past, tourists could go inside the temple, this was because the local tourist guide led them there," Lilo said. He pointed out that Tanah Lot temple in Tabanan district, for instance, had retained its status as a tourist attraction even though tourists were not permitted to enter it. Lilo said the same was true of the Taman Ayun temple in the Badung district, which has attracted numerous tourists to view the exterior without stepping inside. Earlier, on Tuesday, Governor Pastika had proposed that tourists should be banned from visiting the temples for the next five years in response to pros and cons being listed against the provisions of the National Tourism Strategic Areas (KSPN). "My tentative conclusion is that the time has come for the temples to no longer be considered tourist attractions," the governor remarked while closing a workshop on Bali tourism development.