The three tourist villages are Sudaji village in Sawan subdistrict, Munduk village in Banjar subdistrict, and Sambangan village in Sukasada subdistrict.
Munduk village has been famous as a tourist attraction since the Dutch colonialism period due to its stunning environs. The village is dominated by agricultural areas with clove, coffee, vanilla, cocoa, and secondary crops, along with verdant valleys and several waterfalls.
Meanwhile, Sudaji and Sambangan villages have been classified as newly pioneered tourist villages in Buleleng district. Sudaji village is known to have extensive agricultural land on which the Balinese agricultural system called subak is still being implemented until today.
Several homestays have been made available to accommodate visitors to the village, which also boasts a camping ground and other natural tourist attractions.
Meanwhile, Sambangan village is famous for its breathtaking Aling-Aling waterfall. The village also has a beautiful expanse of rice fields that can captivate tourists.
The Buleleng District Tourism Office has claimed that Sudaji, Munduk, and Sambangan villages are the flagship tourist villages in the region.
The three tourist villages are among the 11 tourist villages discussed and proposed by the Bali Province Tourist Village Forum to the G20 organizer and Bank Indonesia.
Head of the Buleleng District Tourism Office, Gede Dody Sukma Oktiva Askara, said that his office is still waiting for confirmation and approval from the G20 organizer regarding whether the three tourist villages would be visited by the G20 delegates or not.
"We are still waiting for further information regarding what we, Bali Province Tourist Village Communication Forum and Bank Indonesia, have strived for," he emphasized.
He noted that if the tourist villages are picked as tourist attractions to be visited by the G20 delegates, it would be a big opportunity to promote the region’s tourism.
On top of that, the series of G20 events in Bali are expected to promote Buleleng in the delegates’ home countries.
G20 opportunities
Tourism academician from Mpu Kuturan Singaraja State Hindu University, Kadek Wiramarta S.Pd., M.Pd, said that most tourist villages in Buleleng have different charms and characteristics compared to other tourist villages in Bali.
"I believe that the tourist villages in Buleleng have their own qualities and are able to compete with other tourist villages in various aspects," he said.
In terms of human resources, many tourism managers in South Bali are originally from the northern part of Bali (Buleleng). There are also many tourism academics and universities in the region.
Wiramarta highlighted the context of tourist villages as rural tourism where tourists come to tourist objects not only to pay a visit but also to mingle with the local community.
“The context is ‘Living Like Local People,’ where tourists live among the local community in the village,” he explained.
Therefore, tourists can get involved with the community directly, he added.
"That is the satisfying part for the tourists," he underlined.
However, he reminded the government and tourism stakeholders to design the tourist villages well to attract visitors.
"I believe all tourist villages have their own charms. But, what matters is how the managers ‘package’ them into an attractive package. What kind of tour package is it? What can tourists do (in the tourist village)?” he pointed out.
Regarding the potential of the G20 event for drawing delegates from member countries to Buleleng, he noted that it would bring benefits for the advancement of tourism in the region.
He said that there are several tourist villages encapsulating the attractive and unique characteristics of northern Bali that are adequate to be visited by the delegates.
G20 offers a big chance to introduce to the world the uniqueness of Balinese culture and customs, which are very valuable, especially Buleleng culture and customs.
The G20 is a multilateral platform connecting the world's major economies comprising Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Spain is also a permanent guest at the forum.
Indonesia is holding the G20 Presidency from December 1, 2021, to November 2022. Its presidency is themed "Recover Together, Recover Stronger" to reflect the spirit of collective recovery.
The 17th G20 Summit will take place on November 15–16, 2022, in Bali. Its attendees will comprise heads of state and governments of G20 member countries.
The summit will be the peak of the G20 process and intense work conducted within the Ministerial Meetings, Working Groups, and Engagement Groups throughout the year.
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