Reflection

Based on the above research done on the culture of Bali, 

I feel that many religious practices, performances and monuments have been exploited for tourism. they have lost their religious purposes.

Also, the Balinese people have opened up to tourism and are starting to conform their way of living to the outside world. Even the Bali Aga people, which have isolated themselves from the outside world, have also sensed the shift in tourism and opened their village to the public. Even though now they are still preserving their traditional practices tightly, certain changes could already be seen. Some houses had been converted to shop houses catering to tourists. 

Although most locals may feel that their performances are being perfected while traditions are still held, however, I feel that in time to come, the locals may lose their religious beliefs and perform rituals only for monetary purposes.  

Therefore, I feel that more has to be done on the government’s part to ensure sustainable tourism. If the government wants to develop Bali as a tourist destination in the long years to come, it better come up with good rules and regulation, protect Balinese people from international economic influence, educate the people more about their culture and promote Bali as a truly cultural destination.

Bali = "Disneyfied" destination

Disneyization of a certain destination is the term used to describe the destination having obvious Disney traits in their development. The 4 dimensions of Disneyization include theming, hybrid consumption, merchandising and performative labour. 

Themeing
Themeing serves to differentiate and give value to objects to which it is applied, giving them additional meaning on top of what they actually are. Theming is one of the most evident characteristic in relation to island’s transformation.
The attraction all around the island are subconsciously grouped into different categories, such as the water sports, shopping and temples.
For example, all the temples in Bali are of cultural importance to the island and its people. However, certain temples receive more attention as they enjoy additional perceived value by through theming.   

Hybrid Consumption
It is a general trend whereby forms of consumption associated different with different institutional spheres become interlocked with each other and become increasingly difficult to distinguish.
An example, resorts developed in Bali to cater to tourists tend to offer spa packages and dining facilities, including cultural dances to increase the length of stay of their guests. Essentially, the longer they are attracted to stay, the higher the chances that they consume products with their experiences sold more.
Shopping malls which are increasingly becoming more and more common are also another form of hybrid consumption. It is a place where people shops for clothes, dine at restaurants, be entertained (cinemas), and relax (spas). 

Merchandising
It is the promotion and sale of goods in the form of bearing copyright images or logos and is made under license.
Bali has its unique and intriguing arts and crafts, often sold in souvenir and arts and craft shops. Also unique is the batik. Everyone knows that this certain cloth comes from Bali from its distinctive colours and prints.  


Performative Labour
It is the growing tendency for frontline service work to be viewed as a performance, especially one in which the deliberate display of a certain mood is seen as part of the labour involved in service work.
Bali is growing into a tourism destination. With increasing interaction between the locals and tourists, there’s bound to have some changes in the livelihood of these locals.
With the increasing number of shopping malls and attractions popping up to cater to tourists, locals are being hired. Even the villages, Tenganan and Trunyan, have opened up to tourists and public after many decades of isolation from the outside world. More of the locals are learning and thinking that tourism is their way of survival, thus leaning towards forming most of Bali’s performative labour.  


Therefore, based on the analysis above, I conclude that Bali has indeed been “disneyfied”.

Focus of calendar of events

The Balinese focus of events is more on the important cultural or traditional practices and celebrations of the Balinese people. These celebrations are traditions that form part of their way of life, carried out by the locals.

Date	Event Name	Description
5 March 2011	Nyepi	It is the Balinese New Year. Total silence is observed during the entire day. There is no activity, traffic or fire at all. Great purification and sacrificial rites are held the day before so as to exorcise evil spirits from every corner of the island.
6 July 2011	Galungan	Most important holiday symbolising the victory of Virtue upon Evil. The holiday is specialized by the fitting of 'penjor', a tall bamboo pole decorated with woven young coconut leaves, fruit, cakes and flowers, on the right side of every house entrance. People are attired in their finest clothes and jewels this day.
16 July 2011	Kuningan	This holiday brings the holiday period to a closing time. A special ritual ceremony is held for the Ancestral spirits.
23 April & 19 Nov 2011	Sarawati	This day is devoted to God’s manifestation as Dewi Saraswati, the beautiful Goddess of knowledge, art and Literature. On this day, books of knowledge, manuscripts are blessed and special offerings are made for them.
27 April & 23 Nov 2011	Pagerwesi	The name means “iron fence”, on which day ceremonies and prayers are held for strong mental and spiritual defence in welcoming the Galungan holiday

Their secondary focus is on the performances, exhibitions, sports, museums, conferences and meetings, seminars. These events are more on man-made tourists attractions and events. 

References:

http://www.bali-paradise.com/event.cfm

http://www.balicalendar.com/events.php?data=performance