The Surakarta administration is revitalizing traditional markets in Java and could do the
same in Bali with the mass of taxes collected from Indonesia’s tourist engine. The old
Elpabes traditional flea market in Banjarsari is just one of the markets desperately
getting attention in Java. The city is overall receiving a Rp 27 billion budget for
traditional market improvements. We should note that tourists do not travel to Bali
because of the magnetism of centralized government, but because of the myriad
marvels of cultural and natural Bali. Since these charms are the express reasons why
tourists come and Balinese stay Balinese, then these are what ought to be consistently
refreshed and supremely protected. And it is the traditional marketplace that feeds the
Balineseness and the energy that nurtures Bali’s natural splendor.
But the overwhelming majority of tourists buy their food from supermarkets and
restaurants. Those fashionable organic markets, stores, and products you see around
town are not entirely free from blame either. Many organic and artisan promotions turn
basic wholesome necessities into grand novelties: the parasite becomes the host.