Kuta Bali has along history . Faced with such contradictory statements by foreigners, it is interesting to examine how the Balinese themselves feel about the tourist "invasion." To tell the truth, the Balinese did not really have a say in the decision of the central government to trade on their island's charms in order to refill the coffers of the state, and they were never consulted about the Master Plan. Presented with a fait accompli, they attempted to appropriate tourism in order to reap its economic benefits. In 1971, Balinese authorities proclaimed their own conception of the kind of tourism they deemed suitable to their island - namely a "Cultural Tourism" (Pariwisata Budaya) that is respectful of the values and artistic traditions which brought fame to the island in the first place.

From the start, the Balinese have evinced an ambivalent attitude towards tourism, which they perceived as being at once filled with the promise of prosperity and yet fraught with danger. The foreign invasion was seen to contain the threat of "cultural pollution" which might destroy those very traditions which provided Bali's main attraction for tourists.

By official accounts, Cultural Tourism has achieved its mission, reviving Balinese interest in their traditions while reinforcing a sense of cultural identity. In actual fact, Balinese culture has neither been "destroyed" nor "revived" by tourism, and tourism should not even been seen as an "external force" striking Bali from the outside. Over the years tourism has instead become an integral part of Balinese society and economy. Even more important, moreover, is the fact that tourism is only one of many factors bringing about rapid change on the island. Other equally important ones are mass education, mass media and rising expectations among the young.

In effect, a new Balinese culture and identity is now emerging that is an amalgamation of all sorts of influences, from inside Bali as well as from the outside. The major contribution of foreigners has perhaps been to make the Balinese aware of the fact that they are the lucky owners of something precious and perishable called "culture." Yet they are also increasingly viewing this heritage as something that is detachable from themselves something that can be photographed, staged, promoted, reproduced and sold.

The island of Kuta Bali has long been characterized in the West as the last "paradise" on earth a traditional society insulated from the modern world and its vicissitudes, whose inhabitants are endowed with exceptional artistic talents and consecrate a considerable amount of time and wealth staging sumptuous ceremonies for their own pleasure and that of their gods - now also for t1me delectation of foreign visitors.

This image is due in large part of course to the positive effect Bali's manifold charms have on visitors, but we should recognize that it is also the result of certain- romantic Western notions about what constitutes a "tropical island paradise" in the first place. Moreover, we need to understand that Bali's development into a popular tourist destination has been the result of specific actions and decisions on the part of governing authorities.

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