WiSATA Project Description
Poverty and Environment in NTT
NTT is one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia. The proportion of people living below the national poverty line is 30% compared to a national average of 18%. The poverty trend is also getting worse. Since 1999 NTT has dropped from 21st to 24th rank in the Human Poverty Index (HPI) ranking of Indonesia’s 30 provinces and from 24th to 28th in the Human Development Index (HDI) ranking. In the education sector, NTT has one of the lowest junior secondary and primary net enrolment rates; the highest repetition rate in the country (13%); and one of the highest illiteracy rates (84%). In terms of community health, 46% of the population is still without access to clean water while 32% have no access to health facilities. 

The Komodo National Park is located just west of Flores in the eastern province of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT). Komodo was named a World Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1977 and was added to the list of World Natural Heritage Sites in 1991. It was declared a National Park by the Goverment of Indonesia in 1990. The unique Komodo dragon is part of an area that offers one of the world’s richest marine environments. These environments are in a fragile status, both threatened by the poverty of the surrounding population as well as unsustainable development patterns.

Eco-Tourism Development
Swisscontact has been entrusted by AusAID‘s ANTARA Program to implement WiSATA in the District of West Manggarai, NTT, where the park is located. The project named WiSATA (Indonesian for “travel”) has the potential to contribute directly to poverty reduction in West Manggarai by increasing visitor opportunities and improving the quality and efficiency of those District agencies and small and medium enterprises (SME) involved in eco-tourism.

Project goal
The goals of the WiSATA project are to support employment generation and to contribute to a reduction of poverty in selected communities of the district of West Manggarai.

This will be achieved through promoting more effective eco-tourism promotion, increasing SME quality and concentrated local capacity building efforts.

Project components

Project

Project Components

Objectives

WiSATA

West Manggarai Tourism Assistance

Enabling Environment

  • Increased district government capacity in planning, coordination and management
  • Improved transparency and public participation

Service Quality

  • Support local improvement in availability and quality of tourism services and facilities

Eco Tourism Marketing

  • Improve international and national marketing functions

Approach
The project’s strategy acknowledges that a sustainable outcome can only be achieved with a comprehensive sector development approach. An increased quality of local facilities and skill levels as well as an increase in local eco-tourism planning and conservation capacity are presumed to enable a more sustainable eco-tourism growth, limiting relative burdens on the environment. The application of the Triple A (Atlas, Agenda, Aturan Main or Rules of the game), an innovative governance capacity building tool, is expected to result in increased standards in local planning and improved coordination in the management of services and resources. Especially improved transparency and better levels of governance in the District of West Manggarai will contribute to a more conducive investment climate.

Project Duration
The first project phase has been started in June 2006 for two years until June 2008. Based on the results of the first phase there is a possibility to extend the project duration.

 
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