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TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

MENTAWAI ISLAND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN

INFORMATION AND PROPOSAL TO THE INVESTOR FOR MENTAWAI ISLAND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN

By DELVINUS SABOLAK

1. Background

The Mentawai Islands, approximately 130 miles of the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, represent an incredibly rich tourism resource suitable for a range of niche tourism products.

The Mentawai archipelago has been ecologically isolated from mainland Sumatra since the mid-Pleistocene period, resulting in high levels of endemism amongst its indigenous flora and fauna. Siberut is largely covered with primary dipterocarp and mixed forest, as well as smaller areas of secondary forest and freshwater, sago, and mangrove swamps. High conservation value has attracted the attention of World Wide Fund for Nature and United Nations body UNESCO resulting in the declaration of the Siberut National Park (Taman Nasional Siberut) encompassing slightly less than half of the island.

Siberut has attracted most attention from culture/nature tourists and researchers. The island has an area of approximately 500 800 hectares and has a population of around 22,500 citizens, 90% of whom are indigenous Mentawaians.

Tourism operations are controlled by ethnic groups other than Mentawai indigenes, largely the Minangkabau from West Sumatra, and to a lesser degree the Sumatran Bataks, Niassans, Javanese and. The industry involved in taking tourists to visit Mentawai villages and marketed as Cultural Tourism/Jungle Trekking is dominated by Minangkabau guides based in Bukkitinggi.

Whilst a relatively recent phenomena compared with backpacker visitation to Siberut, the Charter Boat Surf Tourism Industry which became commercial in 1993 has rapidly grown to encompass over 40 live-aboard charter boats upon which surfing tourists each pay up to $450 USD per day to be transported amongst the Mentawai islands, directed by weather conditions to the best surf location on the day. The industry has grown due to a combination of chance meteorological, geographic and geomorphologic circumstances making the Mentawais the worlds richest surf fields. Saturation marketing and exposure in the global surf media through the late 1990s has placed the Mentawais at the top of most travelling surfers’ ‘must-do’ list.

However, virtually none of the foreign exchange generated by the Surf Tourism Industry finds its way to Mentawai communities.The way the manner in which the cultural, nature, trekking sand surf tourism industries have developed has seen indigenous Mentawaians marginalized from tourism despite the industry’s dependence upon local culture and natural resources.

This proposal outlines a strategy for developing the skills to allow local Mentawaians to enter the tourism market with a range of niche tours designed to equitably share the benefits of tourism amongst communities in a transparent fashion whilst improving the quality of the Mentawai tourism product and supporting Mentawai guides.

The following points outline some of the issues with current tourism practice in the Mentawai which, given these issues can be addressed, provides an opportunity for indigenous Mentawaians to enter into the tourism economy.

  • Lack of privacy for tourists, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, and poor food supplied by guide.

  • Non-Mentawai tour guides often lack specific cultural and environmental knowledge and lack adequate training particularly in the areas of safety and emergency responses. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some guides’ lack of respect for host families, and subsequent lack of respect of tourists be some communities has resulted in dissatisfied tourism experiences.

  • All most all foreign exchange generated through tourism of various forms in the Mentawai never reaches the Mentawai economy.

  • “Erratic”, inconsistent tour charges

  • Disparate fragments of various tourism niche markets provide disjointed tourism services to their particular niche – surfing, cultural, nature, trek – all of which are subject to marked seasonality of demand

  • Disparate muffled marketing. Very little marketing/promotional material is available in tourist home countries. Internet is an underutilised, affordable medium with vast penetration.

2. Product

This proposal outlines a simple concept: applying best practice sustainable tourism principles in establishing an indigenous Mentawaian presence amongst existing and developing tourism markets in the Mentawai.

This process involves the training of staff and subsequent improvement of tourism services, facilities, management and marketing, and the establishment of relationships between local guides and families. The issues with current practice in Mentawai tourism introduced above will be addressed by the following strategy.

  • Provide training for Mentawai guides and hospitality staff. Capacity building. Better training of guides and staff will facilitate access to higher end of the tourism market.

  • More equitable distribution of tourism generated foreign exchange to resource custodians. Resident Mentawai guides ensures guides fee benefits Mentawai community. Food distribution program.

  • Ensure purchase and service consumption opportunities are provided on the islands. Discouragement of prepaid ‘everything included’ packaged tours to encourage local spending.

  • Transparent pricing structure, standard regulated fees, standard service requirements of trained guides.

  • Appealing to a broader client base across several niche markets to transcend seasonality.

  • Promotional website with links to information and booking services. Local guides able to market services of required quality and cost standard. Ethical, equitable, ethical marketing.

3. Market

Virtually all surf tourists who visit the Mentawai each year (approx. 6000 pax) do so aboard foreign owned live-aboard charter boats, rarely setting foot on land in the Mentawai, if at all. A lack of knowledge of locally established land-based accommodation options is largely responsible for this situation. Community based surfer accommodation has become a lucrative source of income for hundreds of families throughout Indonesia. By providing skilled guides to assist surfers and by making the general surf tourist community aware of the land-based accommodation available in the Mentawai via internet marketing it is predicted that significant numbers of surf tourists can be attracted to land-based operations.

Nurture New Markets

At the present time, the Mentawai People and their culture have gone almost entirely undocumented. With the exception of a handful of National Geographic articles and documentary works there has been relatively little global exposure of the unique living culture of the Mentawai. Currently Mentawai Tours mainly target backpackers and young adventurers. We believe the potential market is far greater than this and that a lack of organisation and synergy between stakeholders has prevented a wider base of tourism styles from becoming established and an inability to tap into more lucrative market segments.

This proposal has outlined strategies designed to enable the targeting of a higher-end tourism market. Tourists will be able to enjoy the improved quality of services and level of comfort (cultural activities, lodging, food, safety, emergency planning) and will book their tours directly from abroad. Though it may take some time to reach a level of service capable of sustaining a high-end market, once achieved, this approach will bring a significant increase in revenues to all parties involved and further benefit the local, regional and national economy.

4. Advantage To Local Interests

Greater Equity in Distribution of Tourism Economy

This proposal has presented a strategy designed to Mentawai people, guides and tourists. At present most of the money spent by tourists does not reach the island. This means that most of the money spent on tours to the Mentawai benefits neither the host families, nor the island economy as a whole. The Goal is to change this equation by greatly increasing the amount of money spent on the island itself. This will benefit the host families, local guides, assistants, cooks, porters, local shops and food suppliers. In addition, an increase in visitors will mean more money spent to hire boats, more money to local governments (surat jalan and local taxes), and a new tourist economy in Muara-Siberut (hotel, restaurants, cafés, and shops).

5. New Sources of Income

Another purpose of the Fee Guidelines and Cultural Tourism Promotion is to create new sources of income. New sources of income will be much higher than low-end jobs in the city. Most of their responsibilities will involve performing activities that are already part of their daily routines and will therefore not cost much in preparation time. Some activities are for Sikeirei’s (rituals), others for any men (hunting, climbing durian trees), others for women (fishing, sago cooking). Children will also be able to participate in activities (fishing, hunting practice, roof making, etc.). Guides will ask which cultural activities they would like to show their group and the family’s head can suggest who should perform each activity. This new source of income, supported by traditional living will promote cultural preservation.

6. Community Participation in Development, Planning, Operations and Management

  • Participatory research and management techniques – build relationships with local communities from the outset. Local communities must shape the future of development ultilising their resources in their traditional domain. Frameworks exist to assist this process e.g. Participatory Rural Appraisal and Limits of Acceptable Change.

  • Training for local communities in hospitality and supply of perishable foods to resorts,

  • Cultural guide training

  • Staff at resort should be local to minimise economic leakage

  • Possible linkages to formal education institution both in Indonesia and abroad should be investigated

7. Alternative livelihoods and diversification of local subsistence economy

  • Sustainable aquaculture for community development,

  • Environmentally sound agriculture projects for community to sell back to resort,

  • Craft making to sell to resorts – reflecting and reinforcing local culture,

  • Small business opportunities for local communities

8. Surfing resources management and surfing tourism development strategy

  • Resource management involving notions of recreational carrying capacity,

  • Supply focussed management philosophy

  • Tourism development around Level of Acceptable Change. Community perception and views on what they aspire and what is their views are on the way the development should take place. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation required to make it work.

9. Education guidelines for both tourists and operators

  • Codes of practice for operators tourists concerning environmental and cultural best practice

     

STRATEGY AND CONCEPT

To develop an up-market watersports resorts or hotel on a remote island in the Mentawai island, there are relatively up-market watersports resorts that cater to families and surfers, divers, snorkeling, eco-tourism and cultural tourism visitors. The Maldives has a couple of resorts, there is in Fiji, but there’s no one resort outside Bali in Indonesia catering to this market especially surfers.

The plan will be offering an up-market destination specially catering to watersports enthusiast and surfers, and will also be suitable for non surfing partners and families to holiday at a tropical palm-fringed island surrounded by white sandy beaches, Although mostly location at the Mentawai island is centrally located to some of the best surf in the world, this will not critical be the focus of the marketing.

The close proximity of Padang (West-Sumatera) to Singapore, Malaysia and even Japan will enable the island to be marketed to a wider range of clientele than just surfers.

What we envisage is a destination where the clients can take his or her partner or family and provide a complete holiday that all can enjoy. This goes the same for all watersports and beach loving enthusiast, including divers,game fisherman, reef fisherman, wind surfers and sailors. There have been ample sailfish caught in the Mentawai island by cruising yacht charters, as well as dolphin, tuna, trevally, barracuda, bonefish, wahoo, coral trout and so on and so on. Imagine what fully decked out gameboat can do.

For the the general tourists, the brilliant white sand and aqua blue waters are ideal for lazing around in Paradise, soaking up the tropical sun, or snorkeling in crystal clear waters discovering the local marine life.

To enhance the amazing natural features of the island will be quality accommodation, restaurant, bar, etc and ample resorts activities like jet-ski, banana boats seawalker even waterboom. And I think this going to completed “ the paradise that time to forgot. 

SITE DESCRIPTION

The potential where offer for tourism destination development is in Siberut island which they are white and clean sandy beach and the Landowner in this island are friendship village clan The size of potential land are approx. 4 to 6 hectares (beach front)

The tourism activities near by this island are : surf spots (big 5 best surf spot in the world), snorkeling, wake boarding,diving, game fishing boat,eco-tourism activities (lake in the island) and cultural tourism.

Distance to the land location from each spots are approx. 10-20 minutes by boat.

Contact information

Mr Delvinus Sabolak, PT. Mentawai Surf Travel, phone: +62 813 63 448276, fax: +62 751 62554.