Auf dem Weg zum bewussteren Management heiliger Stätten: Balinesische Tempel als touristische Attraktion

Touristic management with the objective of protecting sanctity of heritage attractions is like squaring a circle. Sacred places of different religions have become fields of conflicting encounters between organizations and pilgrims seeking sanctuary, with the competing role of tourist attractions. The focus of this study is on Bali where, every year, hundreds of thousands of international tourists and many more visitors from predominantly Muslim Indonesian islands visit the Hindu sanctuaries. The temples – famous for picturesque pagodas and gates – represent manifestations of Bali, known as the „Island of Gods.“ The main objective of the paper is to examine and compare different perspectives on Balinese temples based on expert interviews, participatory observations and the analysis of comments in a review portal. The research project should contribute to enriching the discourse on tourists’ use of sacred sites and enable a more conscious management that not only focuses the compliance of cultural-religious rules, but also acknowledges subtle spiritual aspects.