Chapter 8: Using “Drama Gong” as a Communication Channel on Implementation of Pro-Poor Tourism in Pemuteran Village, Bali Province, Indonesia

Pro-poor tourism (PPT) can be a strategy for sustainable tourism realization. The strategy puts local people as the subject of tourism development processes from planning, executing, controlling, and also evaluating. It means local people, including poor people, are empowered to increase their income because their daily activities are connected to the tourism sector. Tourism development in Pemuteran Village can be recorded as a good example of successful PPT implementation in Bali Province, Indonesia. In the 1990s, a Balinese socio-entrepreneur came to the north Bali Islands, introducing the tourism business as a new source of family income for poor people. To change poor people's perception that tourism can provide a positive impact on the village, it faced a difficult challenge. Therefore, the socio-entrepreneur approached poor people with such a special touch that he modified drama gong (a traditional art performance in Bali) and Hindu ritual ceremonies in the temple as development communication channels. This is a good strategy to encourage poor people's participation in tourism development so that Pemuteran Village is known as a popular tourist destination in Bali. Tourism activities provide better income to local people because residents of Pemuteran Villa can get jobs or manage businesses in the tourism sector. Therefore, this research discusses the transformation process of Pemuteran Village from a poor village to a favorite maritime tourism destination. In fact, both of this process and progress had been inspired and supported by the Balinese socio-entrepreneur in order to lead poor people shifting their mindset and behavior to engage in tourism development.