This thesis examines how Indonesian government approached tourism
development from 1945 to 2014. It shows that their focus remained on the
development of international tourism in Bali, despite the many tourism
opportunities existing throughout Indonesia. It describes how successive
governments’ policies were based on a Bali First Policy (BFP) instead of
developing multiple international tourism destinations as proclaimed in
decrees, regulations, master plans and tourism promotion and awareness
programs. As argued in this thesis, this reflected Bali’s longstanding success
as an international tourism destination. With 80% of all holidaying tourists,
Bali continues to be central to Indonesia’s tourist growth and foreign
exchange, while the tourist sector outside Bali remains significantly underdeveloped. The thesis explains the imbalance through describing and analysing the
measures taken by Sukarno, Suharto, the transition Governments of Habibie,
Wahid and Sukarnoputri, and Yudhoyono. Drawing from Easton’s Systems
Theory (1965), Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (1980), and the factors
affecting tourism development identified by Ritchie and Crouch (2013), the
thesis outlines a Public Policy-based Stages of Tourism Development (PPSTD)
model that provides a better understanding of tourism policymaking
and implementation in Indonesia 1945-2014.