Responsible tourism in Indonesia

Responsible tourism in Indonesia is as much to do with the sheer size of the country, as it is any immediate barriers to social and environmental sustainability that it might be facing. Keeping a country of over 200 million fed and watered is not easy, so while at the outset it’s easy to condemn Indonesia’s level of poverty, when you actually look at what the current government has outlined to provide in terms of social spending and healthcare, their progress is commendable. Likewise palm oil is horrendously damaging to the rainforest and the animals that dwell there, but its spells big bucks and each and every one of the world’s countries is probably guilty of begging, borrowing or stealing – even from themselves – at some point.

The key to responsible tourism in Indonesia lies with tourists supporting local businesses across the country at every level possible, so that the locals learn how valuable their environment is and aren’t forced to turn to other, more damaging practices to earn their keep.