Indonesian women entrepreneurs adapt to a changing world — Global Issues

As the sun sets over the Celebes Sea and its orange glow turns the horizon yellow, several dozen tourists are on the pier in Budo, a village of 2,400 people perched on the ocean, some miles from the capital Manado of the region 25 km to the northeast.

They took pictures and marveled at the scenery; One woman from a nearby town exclaimed that, even for locals, the sun setting over the volcano is an extraordinary sight.

However, a few years ago, the pier – about 300m long, crossing the mangroves to connect the village to the open sea – was dilapidated and used only by fishermen who went out to sea.

But those were different times, explains Hani Lorens Singa, President of the Village Business Association (BUMDES): back then there were more fish and no tourists.

Budo, like many coastal villages in North Sulawesi, northeastern Indonesia, has traditionally depended on small-scale fishing, but fish stocks have dwindled, leading to a new focus on tourism as a how to create a livelihood.

A program established by the International Labor Organization (ILOa United Nations agency), is helping the rural community of Budo and four other villages diversify into sustainable tourism, providing skills to local entrepreneurs, mainly women.

The pier has been renovated and repainted with government support, and benches and wooden huts have been added for the convenience of tourists, who pay an entrance fee of Rs 10,000 (0) .65 dollars) to walk along the jetty and enjoy the view.

Visitors can purchase local delicacies and drinks at the ticket counter, and orders are prepared by existing members of the village association and delivered to the pier. “We share the work, we share the income – this is tourism on a human scale”Mr. Lorens Singa said.

Since the renovation, a fifth of visitors spend more, ordering local delicacies and drinks at the ticket counter with occasional visitors also staying overnight.

Thanks to the support of the ILO and its partners, Budo has increased tourism income by 5 times and is now on the tourist trail: the village has won the digital marketing category at the World Travel Awards. Awarded Top 50 Tourism Villages of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy this year .

Although improvements have been made, there is still a lot of work to be done and Mr. Lorens Singa is not complacent. “We need to come up with more reasons for people to stay for a meal or overnight,” he insisted.

Stay at a homestay, hashtags and cook at home

About an hour’s drive east of Budo, the residents of Marinsow took an accelerated course in the bed and breakfast business, a steep learning curve for many of them.

“Many of the entrepreneurs we work with have never been tourists, so without training they would not be able to know tourists,” said Mary Kent, ILO Chief Technical Advisor for the project. What does the calendar expect?

Marinsow is located in a mining area, a few kilometers from Indonesia’s pristine beaches, so there was no reason for previous visitors to stop by. However, since Marinsow was designated a “priority tourist destination” by the Government, the village has received a significant financial boost, aimed at diversifying the economy.

More than 50 villagers have received small bungalows on their land to start a business of bed and breakfasts, or homestays, as they are known in Indonesia. The ILO, along with local partners Klabat University and Manado State Polytechnic, is helping to teach locals the skills they need to be successful entrepreneurs, such as accounting, cost accounting and marketing, hospitality and tourism.

Yeni Alelo said: “I was surprised to learn that tourists like the white sheets and variety in their meals. Ms. Alelo and other participants also learned the importance of using hashtags in social media marketing posts to be found by travelers looking for a place to stay in the area. they are easier.

“Women’s small businesses are funded through microfinance credits and they are able to make all the payments on time,” said Gabriel Tamasengge, village chief. “We are so proud of our women, of the business acumen we never knew they had.”

The investment in marketing and quality control skills in these communities is paying off, with about half of the few hundred overnight tourists in Marinsow last year coming from outside the province, including an increasing number from abroad.

Back in Budo, there was an interest in building more hostels and increasing overnight stays, perhaps by creating a marketing campaign to convince foreign tourists from the top diving spots. nearby world class in Bunaken Marine Park drop by for dinner and a tour of a typical village, instead of sticking to the usual mass tourist attractions. The village business association also plans to offer cooking and handicraft classes, as well as fishing trips.

“Our task now is to ensure that when funding from the ILO and the government stops working, we will have a complete business that will allow us to stand on our feet,” said Mr. Lorens Singa. himself,” said Mr. Lorens Singa. “We have a vision and we have a commitment – ​​I believe we will succeed.“