Russian Speaking Tour Guides’ Endeavor: A Development Strategy of Bali Subak Attraction in the Post Pandemic Covid 19

Abstract

This research tries to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges faced by Subak, the Balinese traditional farming and irrigation system; determine several alternative strategies for the Subak development solutions; and define the chosen solution strategy for the development and sustainability of the Subak system in Bali tourist villages as well as resilience of the tourist villages in the post-COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the determination of the appropriate alternative strategy was carried out in stages—the first stage by means of creating a SWOT Matrix. In the next stage, various alternative strategies are prepared based on the SWOT Matrix. Furthermore, the selection of alternative solution strategies that are considered the most suitable is carried out using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) completed with the Criterium Decision Plus Version 4.0 program. Assessment using AHP results obtained that the development of Subak as agro and ecotourism areas is a choice of an alternative strategy that has the greatest value (1.000) compared to alternative development as a mass tourism area (0.020) and as a tourist facilities area (0.170). With the development of Subak as agro and ecotourism, it is expected to support the sustainability of the Subak system post-COVID-19 pandemic, which is a synergistic effect of tourism and agriculture. During the COVID-19 pandemic era, the utilization of Subak as an agro and ecotourism region is able to maintain the tourist village resilience, whereas, when the pandemic is over and the tourism sector gains its recovery a shift of land functions into the non-agricultural sector could be prevented. An important indicator of the Subak system for agro and ecotourism in the tourist villages which is directly adjacent to the conservation of paddy fields from the shift of land functions, and agro and ecotourism which is located in the village settlement. In addition, the utilization of Subak as an agro and ecotourism area nowadays is fruitful for the tourist villages to be more resilient.