ognizant Communication Corporation

The following excerpts are from a book review by Dimitrios Buhalis, University of Surrey, appearing in Information Technology & Tourism, Vol. 3(2), 2000, pp. 129-130:

Tourism & Small Entrepreneurs, Development, National Policy, and Entrepreneurial Culture: Indonesian Cases. Heidi Dahles and Karin Bras (Eds.). Cognizant Communication Corp., New York, NY, 1999. No. of pages: 165. $30.00.

A collection of fascinating cases on Indonesian entrepreneurs in Bali, Lombock, and Yogyakarta provides a very interesting account on the informal tourism sector of the country. The essays are contributed by lecturers and students of Tilburg University (The Netherlands) who spent a considerable amount of time researching at the destination. Although the book is rooted on entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, it is remarkable that it covers a whole range of tourism policy and planning issues for the destination and a wider context for the particular study. Small enterprises cover the accommodation sector (losman, homestays, wigma); tour and travel agencies; transport (minibuses and private cars); restaurants (warungs and street cafes); souvenir business; rental companies (bikes, beach umbrellas, diving, snorkeling and fishing equipment); and beauty services (massage, manicure, hairstylists makeup). On top of these "respectable" professions and businesses the book refers to a large number of illicit and illegal businesses such as escort services, brothels, gambling halls, and drug dealing.

As stated in the literature about the book, the main audiences are undergraduate and graduate students, scholars, and researchers in leisure and tourism studies, economic anthropology, and Asian studies.

Dahlas and Bras also cover three important recent advances in the field of tourism:
1. The debate on sustainable development and issues of local participation and local employment in tourism.
2. The debate on tourism policies and the role of national states against a background of globalization.
3. The emerging debate on the role of micro-entrepreneurs, self-employed people, and/or the informal sector in tourism.

Although chapters are contributed by individual postgraduate students and researchers a fairly consistent style prevails, giving credit to the editors. However, the absence of a concluding chapter fails to synthesize the material and draw similarities and differences with other destinations. The book is about the informal tourism sector in Indonesia rather than entrepreneurship as emphasized by the title, but it will be nevertheless extremely useful to business, tourism, sociology, and anthropology students and researchers who need to appreciate the practices of SMTEs in Indonesia. In this sense it is thoroughly recommended.

Preface

Chapter 1. Tourism and Small Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries: A Theoretical Perspective
Heidi Dahles

• Introduction
• Tourism and Development
• The Dual Economy
• Small Entrepreneurs
• Theoretical Framework
• About This Book

• Introduction
• Tourism Development and Government Policy in Indonesia
• Small and Petty Entrepreneurs in the Indonesian Industry
• Small Entrepreneurs in Tourism
• Conclusions

• Introduction
• Tourism in Sanur
• Upgrading Sanur Beach
• Sanur Beach Business
• The Politics of Gender
• Conclusions

• Introduction
• Government Regulations in the Hotel Sector
• Kuta - "the Least Balinese Place in Bali"
• Ubud: Living up to Its Cultural Image
• Small Entrepreneurs in the Accommodation Sector
• Conclusions

• Introduction
• Lombok, a New Tourist Destination
• Gili Trawangan
• Conclusions and Future Scenario for Gili Trawangan

• Introduction
• Tourism in Yogyakarta
• The Accommodation Sector in Yogyakarta
• Homestays in Sosrowijayan and Prawirotaman: A Comparison
• The Homestay Tourist
• Marketing the Homestay
• Conclusions

• Introduction
• Becak in Yogyakarta
• The Daily Life of Becak Drivers
• Networks and Organizations
• Local Participation
• Conclusions

• Introduction
• Local Guides: Pathfinders or Small Entrepreneurs?
• The Rinjani Area and Senaru
• Local Mountain Guides
• Guiding in Lombok
• Conclusion

• Introduction
• Small-Scale Entrepreneurs in Tourism
• Romancing the Tourist
• Conclusions

Contributors

Bibliography

Index