Development for Whom? The Politics of Heritage Conservation-cum-Tourism in Indonesia

In many developing countries, heritage conservation is often framed as a development matter. Indonesia exemplifies this approach, where heritage conservation and poverty alleviation are pursued through engagement with the global tourism market, a strategy that combines conservation and tourism. This article examines how this strategy is justified and the consequences for heritage patrimonies being conserved and for local communities in Indonesia. It focuses on two World Heritage sites: Subak Landscape of Bali and the Komodo National Park, reflecting a strong justification for preserving the sites’ integrity and improving local socio-economic conditions. The study reveals how “heritagisation” projects at both sites have been based on colonial imaginaries and the romanticisation of Bali’s subak system and the exoticisation of Komodo. These imaginaries have material consequences for how heritage is governed and presented to tourism markets, as well as how the benefits of tourism are distributed.