Tourism Destination Flores – its People and Culture

Ruedi Nuetzi

Flores, an island lying snake-shaped in the seas of Eastern Indonesia, is without doubt most famous for two world-wide renowned attractions: First, Komodo National Park, home of the unique Komodo dragon, a monitor lizard of impressive size and appearance, which attracts thousands of people from all over the globe each year.  Second, Kelimutu, an inactive volcano in central Flores, which bedazzles its visitors with three bright-colored myth-spun crater lakes.

But Flores is so much more than Komodo and Kelimutu. Nature lovers will find it all in Flores: Deserted islands with white sandy beaches, so close yet so far away from civilization’s hassles; beautiful rice-field sceneries in soft-shaped hilly landscapes inviting for a laid-back stroll; bird-concerts in lush coffee gardens and wild forests; hot springs, clear lakes and cool river ponds to jump in after having climbed one of the many volcanoes. Innumerous places of an amazing natural beauty are still waiting to be discovered.

Still, it is not only natural wonders that make Flores an unforgettable travel experience. The magic of Flores comes from its people who receive guests with open arms and heart-warming friendliness, eager to share their fascinating past and present way of life. The cultural richness is impressive, and it is definitely worth to get off the main road to discover Flores’ full spectra of attractions.

The five main regencies of Flores are Manggarai, Ngada, Ende, Sikka, and Flores Timur. Each region has its peculiar cultural features and outstanding places. But traditional knowledge and practices are gradually being eroded due to political, economic, cultural, and ecological pressures.

Tado and Waerebo are two examples of Manggarai ethnic communities located in the western part of Flores Island which countering the loss of traditional knowledge and practices.

Tado village began as “Tado Cultural Ecology Conservation Program” in 1997-98 out of discussions between ECO-SEA (Ethnobotanic Conservation Organisation for South East Asia), Tado elders, and local government officials. Nowadays it is organized by the “Pusat Penelitian dan Pendidikan Masyarakat Tado”, or Tado Community Research and Education Center. It is managed by a rotating staff of Tado community members meaning managed entirely by local farmers. They undertake activities: ethnobotanical research (including medicinal plants and local rice varieties), traditional foods and community nutrition, culture, genealogy, history and mythology. For visiting Tourists they offer a variety of activities. The income is shared among hosts, guides, Tado Community Research and Education Center and a general community development fund.

Waerebo features four traditional Manggaraian ceremonial houses with a distinct conical shape. The houses have been renovated in the authentic style by the local community with the support of architects from Jakarta. The village is quite remote and accessibility is a bit more difficult since it can only be reached by a 3-4 h hike. Visitors are part of the community and experience the daily life of the local people with overnight stay in the traditional ceremonial house, having meals with the local community and getting an insight into the major activities (work in the coffee gardens, weaving, cooking, leisure time etc.).

As Flores has up to the present been spared with mass tourism, and visitors can piece together their own unforgettable and unique travel experience with this island’s natural and cultural diamonds and pearls.

On the other side the island of Flores like many of the islands in the province of East Nusatenggara is still among the economically least developed parts of Indonesia, caused by the low rainfall and arid soil condition especially in the dry season. Due to the difficult topography and the lack of economically interesting resources the island was economically isolated from the outside world until 25 years ago. Missing industries and extracting enterprises, on the other hand, have had the positive impact of a generally pristine and untouched nature environment. Tourism and agriculture are the only practicable economic alternatives for the island, while tourism possesses the potential of addressing the all pervading poverty of the people on Flores.

The Swisscontact project Wisata aims to contribute to poverty reduction in this poor region by increasing the competitiveness of this tourist destination.

The development of new nature, culture and agriculture tourism activities creates part time employment for rural tourism service providers such as guiding and porter services but creates opportunities for sales of local products, food and drinks as well as handicrafts and souvenirs. Nature tourism products also create opportunities for rural accommodation providers. Fisherman can create significant additional incomes in renting boats.

Besides economic benefits local capacity building and empowerment in sustainable tourism management will have a positive impact on the sustainable use of natural resources and maintain cultural values and traditions. Increased tourism sector activities also stimulate improvements in access to basic infrastructure such as transport, water, communication and health and schools.

The formation of local Destination Management Organization enhances the communication, information and coordination and participation among all tourism sector stakeholders.