The Challenges of the Implementation of the Tri Hita Karana Awards Program in the COVID-19 Era

The Challenges of the Implementation of the Tri Hita Karana Awards Program  in the COVID-19 Era

By

Anak Agung Gde Raka Dalem

Lecturer at Udayana University, Bali & THK Awards Auditor

Email: raka.dalem@unud.ac.id or sustainablebali@yahoo.com;

Telephone 081 139 5360

The Tri Hita Karana (THK) Awards and Accreditations Program is a voluntary program for certification of sustainable tourism with environmental and cultural perspectives held since 2000. The program was held by the Bali Travel News between 2000-2010 and then continued by the Tri Hita Karana Bali Foundation from 2011 to present. The program, which is attended by around 60-150 participants annually, is prepared and carried out over a period of one year started with a revision of the checklist or questioner, then initial screening, participant training, filling in self-assessment by participants, and on site audits by the tri hita karana team . At the end of the year, around December, a certificate will be awarded for those which  meet the criteria or requirements determined by the THK Awards and Accreditations team.

Entering the COVID-19 pandemic era since January 2020, there is a new challenge for organizers and participants of the THK Awards and Accreditations. The format of visitation which is usually carried out directly to the field at the participant location needs to be rearranged. The application of the new normal era protocol causes the welcoming ceremony by participants on site must not to involve many people. Not to mention the use of masks, washing hands or using hand sanitizers and keeping a distance are some of the things that need attention.

Concerns on the number of participants will decrease in number because the tourism sector was hit hard by the prohibition of international tourist visits and also national tourists because of the administered of “PSSB” (social distancing in a large scale) in several locations in Bali also become concerns. Thus, certification and accreditation activities that are routinely held every year are feared that their implementation will be threatened in 2020.

From the existing problems, finally data were collected. It turned out that only three from the 2019’s participants stated that they were not ready to participate this year, while others stated their readiness. This is certainly unexpected. Likewise, many THK awards assessors have registered as assessors this year, although there is a possibility that they will not get transport or honorarium fees. In the assessor coordinator meeting with the foundation's management some time ago, finally the THK Awards activity was agreed to be continued this year, but with some adjustments. The criteria will be reviewed so that what is used on this year's activities are relevant to the current situation of the covid-19 era. The government suggested that participants who did not apply the new normal protocol must not be included in the THK award program this year. This suggestion in the writer's view is indeed very reasonable, because not being prepared to implement the new normal protocol will threaten the health of tourists and employees as well as other parties related to hotel operations and other institutions assessed as a result of the possibility of spreading the disease to tourists, employees and others from the SARS -COV-2 virus that causes Covid-19.

Adjustment of THK Awards assessment criteria is also realistic considering that in this pandemic situation there are possibilities that some criteria cannot be implemented or need to be adjusted, for example the implementation of “dharma wacana” discourse by involving participants in large numbers certainly cannot be implemented. Handling of medical waste from the use of masks, face shields and the alike that are not too many and not commonly found in hotels and other institutions operated on a small scale and those which do not have clinics with them certainly are things that need to get more serious attention in this COVID-19 era. Large amounts of tourist reception in restaurants need to be regulated so that a minimum distance of 1 m can be met. Hand washing facilities or the availability of hand sanitizers are also a concern in the THK Awards 2020 keriteria.

Based on the author's perspective, the THK Awards and Accreditation should indeed continue to be carried out in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, not abolished. In fact, this event will greatly assist the government's role in overseeing tourism facilities, destinations, government offices, schools and universities in order to implement the new normal protocol properly.

Let's together succeed in the THK Awards and Accreditations’ program for our shared contribution to maintaining a clean, healthy, safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable Bali.