THE VALUE OF STEWARDSHIP FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BIRA BEACH AS TOURISM ATTRACTION

Asean Economic Community (AEC) requires the tourism industry to employ human resources based on competencies as well as the necessary to manage tourism attraction (including beach) in sustainable ways. This research aims at proposing recommendation or strategies in managing Bira beach as tourism attraction under the framework of ‘stewardship’ for sustainable tourism. This research also investigates the visitors’ perception about the actual condition of Bira beach which then links to the value of stewardship. A qualitative research in 2015 (and updated in 2017) was employed to achieve the research goals through participant observation and interviews. The research reveals that in order to support Bira beach as tourism attraction, attention by different stakeholders is needed by implementing strategic management through the concept of stewardship. This paper recommends three kinds of stewardship including structural, functional and independent stewardships. The paper also argues that the stewardship concept is useful if there is high commitment and consensus among stakeholders to work based on the principles of responsibility.


INTRODUCTION
The implementation of Asean Economic Community (AEC) has encouraged countries in the Asean region to prepare many aspects to win competition.One of the aspects is to attract more tourists visit their contries under the framework of tourism.One of the consequences of AEC is that the tourism industry (such as accommodation, transportation and travel sectors) will employ qualified human resources based on the principle of competences.This has led the national and regional government of Indonesia to support the development of human resources in many aspects including in the tourism sector.However, little attention has been paid by stakeholders of tourism to how tourism attraction should be managed in order to win competition for attracting tourists to a destination.
Human resources development is more focused on the tourism industry rather than human resources development for the organisers of the tourism attraction.The management of beach as tourism attraction for example, seems to be seen as supporting element in the tourism system rather than linking tourism attraction with the implementation of AEC.Ideally, the development of human resources for the tourism industry should be in parallel with the management of tourism attraction (including Beach).
Beach is considered as an important potential to attract domestic and international tourists to visit a tourism destination.For this reason, countries in the world have been working on promoting their nature (including beach) to invite people visit their countries.It is not suprising that once beach has been identified and is potentially to be visited, more efforts are done to promote its existence.Beach offers various activities that the tourists (visitors) can enjoy such as swimming, snorkling and enjoying sunset and sunrise.Reasons for visiting beach may vary depending on the tourists' expectation.Generally, beach is considered as "spaces for bathing, surfbathing, yachting, sunbathing, fishing, and promenading as well as spaces for those who seek enjoyment of beach environments in wild and lonely places" (Preston-Whyte, 2004:351).Hence, AEC should become the driver for managing beach through the role of human as the organisers.
In recent years, the tourism business (including beach) has adopted sustainable practices (Honey and Krantz, 2007).Dixon, Oh and Draper (2012) argue that many local people around the coastal area are potentially involved in marine-based tourism.They utilise beach to improve their income.Sustainable practices help the local people to utilise beach for their income sustainably.Although impacts (either positive or negative) can occur resulted from the utilisation of beach as tourism attraction (Cater, 2008;Hall and Page, 2006;Mason, 2003), hard efforts should be focused on the protection of the environment.Beach becomes tourism attraction in most tourism destinations in the world.Hence, research on marine-based tourism which is essentially utiling beach is essential for achieving sustainable goals.
Since beach has become one of places that many tourists visit, there is a demand that beach should be managed responsibly and professionally.Meeting the tourists' expectation is one of the reasons for managing beach in a sustainable way.Many tourists are motivated to consume the beauty of a beach.Thus, the sustainability of a beach as tourism attraction depends on how beach can meet the tourists' needs and/or expectation.When visiting a destination or tourism attraction, tourists will gather experience which then affects the willingness to choose or visit the same destination.Similarly, the tourism industry who provides services for tourists plays important role in enhancing the interest of tourists to visit a destination.For Weirmair (2000), the experience of tourists and the role of the tourism industry in giving services to tourists are both important in making the success of tourism development in countries or regions.
The utilisation of beach as nature-based tourism attraction has become the priority of most local government in Indonesia.This is reflected in the efforts of the local government in promoting beach as a superior tourism attraction.Bira beach in Bulukumba regency, for example, has been promoted by the local government as the icon of tourism in addition to other cultural and natural potentials.Since the opening of Bira beach as tourism attraction for public, many efforts are done to promote its existence.Various discourses concerning the promotion of Bira beach exist in many forms of media including newspaper, website (blogspot, online articles, etc.), magazine.For instance, 'ten tourism attractions in Makassar that the visitors must visit' (aneka tempat wisata, 2014); 'twelve the most famous tourism attractions in Makassar' (masdonie.blogspot.co.id) and many other forms of promotional languages in the internet about Bira beach.Bira beach has been considered the most attractive place to visit when tourists visit South Sulawesi.
Although Bira beach has been long recognised as one of the most famous tourism attractions in South Sulawesi and Indonesia in general, its existence needs to be examined as interesting and superior tourism attraction.Positive experience of tourists in a destination can shape their motivation and interest to visit the same destination and attraction (Williams, 2009).For this reason, providing memorable experience particularly visiting beach needs to be investigated.The sustainability of a beach as tourism attraction may not be achieved if the visitors' expectation in terms of enjoying beach is not met.Thus, investigation on how to manage and what factors to consider in meeting the tourists' needs is essential.Furthermore, promotional efforts by media should be supported by the reality of beach as interesting and superior naturebased tourism attraction.Cooper and Hall (2008) affirm that tourism product (including beach) is inextricably linked with tourism market which is characterised on tourists as the users.
Given the many factors that can affect the success and sustainability of beach as tourism attraction, management seems to be more important that may include the in-volvement of different stakeholders.Interrelated stakeholders are actually important in encouraging tourists to utilise nature (beach) as their main choice.Thus, there should be a mechanism or strategy that can provide the opportunity for groups or individuals to get involved in the management of beach.Sustainable benefits for the local people, protection and/or preservation of beach, and maximising positive impacts while minimising negative impacts of tourism are the reasons for good management.The term 'stewardship' seems to be important for achieving the notion of beach as sustainable nature-based tourism.Background of this paper indicates that it is necessary to investigate how to organise beach so that it can meet the tourists' needs and expectation.
Positive impacts of tourism have encouraged countries in the world to promote their potential to potential tourists.Income obtained by the local people is one of the real positive impacts which means helping community to sustain their livelihood.The local authority (such as government) and the local community who reside and get benefits from the beach expect more visitors to their area.Other community may also expect to participate in providing services for tourists, but they are probably constrained by challenges and obstacles.For instance, limited knowledge and skill by the local people are the obstacles in maximising the economic benefits for community.
Research on environmental issues has been the concern of many tourism scholars (Williams, Hall and Lew, 2004).In particular, the scholars' attention is mostly on sustainability or sustainable issues either on advocating the concept of sustainability or criticising such concept in various perspectives.Advocacing the concept means trying to propose ideas or approaches for achieving sustainable tourism.
There is a growing concern that tourism destination should be managed in a sustainable way.This is because sustainable tourism enables different stakeholders to think and act on the basis of sustainability principles.
The environmental concern of sustainable tourism also provides framework for managing tourism destination.Caffyn (2000) argues that although sustainability issues have been the concern of many stakeholders, it is difficult to really understand and implement sustainable tourism without providing working definition by relevant stakeholders of a tourism destination.This is reflected in the adoption of sustainable tourism but is lack in implementation.
Although sustainable tourism has been accepted as a good notion for developing tourism destination, a framework or mechanism is required to support the real implementation of such concept.In this sense, stewardship is considered as an idea that links to sustainable development.Kofinas (2009) argues that the continuity of the human planet should be supported with appropriate stewardship system that can mobilise human beings to enhance their well-being.If sustainable tourism development has been adopted for developing a tourism destination, stewardship helps to run and manage the system of sustainable development.Sustainable tourism refers to the broad aspects of tourism development including social, economic, environmental, cultural and political (D'Hauteserre, 2005;Harrison, Jayawardena and Clayton, 2003;Sharpley, 2009).Stewardship in particular, refers to "the responsibility to care for something and the accountability to exercise responsibility" (Liburd, 2010:11).
The concept of stewardship emphasises that resources in the world (particularly on the earth) are essential for the benefits of human beings.Thus, people may use them for their own benefits but responsibility is a must to maintain the utilisation of the resources as well as to benefit future generations to access the resources.Sinclair and Jayawerdana (2003:404) affirm that sustainable development refers to definition proposed by the United Nations, "sustainable development is expected to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".In other words, there is interrelated connection between sustainability (sustainable tourism) and stewardship either in conceptual framework or the goals of the development.
The concept of stewardship requires different stakeholders to pay attention on three aspects including sustainability, responsibility and service to the community (Liburd, 2010).Tourism provides income for the local people through the good and services the local people provide such as accommodation, transportation, food and catering industry, entertainment and souvenirs (Freytag and Vietze, 2013).In order to maintain the obtained income, people expect to implement sustainable principles.Here, community participation is one of the criteria for sustainability of tourism in an area (Horochowski and Moisey, 2008;Mitchell, 2008).Similarly, sustainability also requires different stakeholders to care for the environmental protection and preservation.For Jovicic (2013), the efforts of other stakeholders to participate actively in sustainable tourism may not be useful if just one stakeholder is not willing to participate in policy implementation.Thus, mechanism or system for achieving sustainability or sustainable tourism helps to guide stakeholders to achieve the goals of sustainable development.
Stewardship considers responsibility as the main aspect to develop tourism destination sustainably.Responsibility means the involvement of all stakeholders to care for the environmental issues as well as the current and future development of community.Responsibility requires stakeholders to understand their rights and obligation for the purpose of developing tourism destination.It is the role of the tourism stakeholders to bring the goals of tourism development into action.For instance, the local government (including the staff) as the main stakeholder is required to understand his/her position and role for tourism development.If beach is promoted as tourism attraction by the local government for example, he/she should understand how should develop beach on the basis of responsibility principles.Similarly, the local community particularly those who reside around the area of the beach should act based on the responsibility principles.
Government and non-government organisations or institutions can participate in optimising beach as superior tourism attraction.The concept of stewardship requires the role of stakeholders to give service for community.If government institutions are willing to provide service for community, they must know what the community need and how to provide services for the community.Similarly, non-government organisations can act as a driver for encouraging community to manage beach sustainably.The kinds of service may vary depend on the need of community and the targetted goals for managing beach.Empowerment for example, is a form of service for community in which the local community is provided education and training about the significance of tourism.Increase community well-being through creative efforts as well as utilising beach as income generation are the forms of empowerment for the local community.
Stakeholders and the concept of stewardship are strongly linked because stewardship concept is useful when stakeholders are willing to really act based on three based principles (sustainability, responsibilty and service to community).Stakeholder are defined as "any group or individual who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of a corporation's purpose" (Freeman, 1984: vi).Kayat (2008) affirms that in order to develop tourism, stakeholders involvement is essential because they know more about tourism destination and they will be affected by the implementation of tourism development policy.Hayat adds that if stakeholders identification also links to stekeholder theory.Stakeholders theory emphasises the strong relationship among the stakeholders and the necessity to meet the interests and expectation of the stakeholders.For the purpose of this research, six stakeholders including government, community (local community), tourists, nongovernment institutions or organisations, the tourism industry and the academics are considered important and relevant to implement stewardship concept (see figure 1).Other stakeholders may be relevant for developing tourism destination.However, the author argues that the six stakeholders are closely related to the implementation of the three principles of stewardship.Furthermore, this research emphasises the voice of tourists or visitors in understanding how should beach managed under the concept of stewardship.This implies that the recommendations and/ or suggestions of the visitors who have experienced directly with beach tourism are essential for the development of tourism.As mentioned earlier that the meeting the visitors' needs and expectations for visiting beach can support the sustainability of beach of tourism attraction.This research aims at proposing recommendation or strategies in managing Bira beach as tourism attraction under the framework of 'stewardship' and 'sustainability".Understanding the visitors' or tourists' expectation and needs is essential in managing beach as tourism attraction.Hence, this research investigates the visitors' perception about the actual condition of Bira beach which then links to the value of stewardship for sustainable tourism.
The visitors' point of view concerning the tourism attraction is essential to propose mechanism or strategies for the management of beach as tourism attraction.Three questions guide the author in examining the current condition of Bira beach, Bulukumba regency, South Sulawesi province.First, how stewardship concept can help the management of Bira beach as tourism attraction.Second, what is the visitors' point of view about the current condition of Bira beach.Third, what other strategies or efforts to support the implementation of stewardship concept at Bira beach.
Qualitative research is employed to achieve the research goals.According to Phillimore and Goodson (2004), qualitative research emphasises the participants' understanding about phenomena, a strategy to understand the social reality resulted from interaction and interpretation.The data come from participant observation having visited Bira beach in December 2015 and April 2017.Participant observation enables the author to look at carefully the current condition of Bira beach.Cole (2004) argues that participant observation is essential to understand and interpret meaning of social phenomena.In this regard, the author implemented taking notes strategy in order to understand the real context of the beach after returning back to office for data analysis.The data also come from interviews to visitors or tourists during and after the visit.
During the visit, the author employed accidental sampling and asked the availability of the visitors to be interviewed.Interviews also occured when the author came back from Bulukumba regency.The author first asked people if he/she ever visited Bulukumba for the last three months and asked his/her availability for interview session.Purposive sampling was employed to approach the respondents.Fifteen informants have participated in the research interviews that consist of six visitors (tourists), five local people, two government officials and two academics.
Questions to visitors were focused on their point of view about the condition of Bira beach whereas local were asked about their experience and knowledge (information) about Bira beach.Interviews to government officials were focused on their understanding about Bira beach from the perspective of government as policy maker.The two academics were asked about their point of view about how to manage Bira beach with the emphasis of sustainable approach.The research was done in December 2015 and updated until April 2017.The data were analysed based on the principle of qualitative data analysis especially thematic analysis.Thematic analysis means working with data by identifying and reporting themes or patterns from data (Braun and Clarke, 2006;Junaid, 2016;Liamputtong, 2009).

DISCUSSION Bira Beach, Expectation, and Reality
Bira beach is administered in Bulumba regency (Bira village), South Sulawesi Province of Indonesia.It sometimes refers to Bira penincula located on the southeast part of Bulukumba regency.Most communities who reside around the coastal area of Bira are fishermen (about sixty families in total).They utilise beach to improve their income such as selling souvenirs and retails as well as working as employees at inns or hotels.Some local people provide their services (beach entertainment) to the visitors through banana boat service.
They also provide sea transport for the visitors if they want to enjoy the beach from the sea as well as to visit Goat Island (pulau Kambing).Indeed, the opportunity for the local community to increase their income is open if the beach is managed in sustainable ways.
Bira beach offers the tourists marinebased experience together with the beauty of landscape and white sand.Visiting Bira beach means the visitors will experience tourism zone where the local people provide services.This enables the tourists to see socio-cultural life of the host people as well as to enjoy traditional culinary.History and knowledge about Phinisi traditional boat will enrich the tourists' understanding and experience about cultural heritage.Bulukumba regency is well recognised as the center of making for Phinisi traditional boat, a cultural heritage of South Sulawesi.Hence, the visit of tourists to Bira beach provides the opportunity for tourists to experience not only natural landscape but also cultural heritage.The Local Board of Tourism and Culture has noted 137,087 visitors in Bulukumba regency in 2014.High number of visitors usually occur on Saturday and Sunday.The number of visitors is usually high if the beach is visited by group of tourists (such as groups of government and non-government organ-isations and international tourists) or tourists accompanied by tour guide.Bira beach is also utilised by people from other regencies in and outside of South Sulawesi as a place for recreation.
There is high demand from the visitors to obtain memorable experience when they visit Bira beach.Swimming for example, has been the most expected need of the visitors.However, current condition seems to be the obstacle for the visitors if they want to swim.Three groups from Makassar for instance, complaint that they could not swim because the beach has been full of rocks and shells.They had planned to swim early in the morning, however, beach condition constraint them from swimming.Along the side of the beach, the visitors can only walk and enjoy the scenary and the beauty of sunset and sunrise.On the visitors' perspective, there seems to be a gap between the tourists' expectation and the promotion.
Problem of rubbish is the most issue that most tourists pay attention.During the interview, most respondents mentioned and complaint rubbish at the area of the beach.Rahman, a government official who spent one night at Bira beach for holiday commented on how rubbish is thrown at the beach "the beach is dirty, we can see rubbish here (point on the rubbish), and I think there should be regular activities or programs to clean the beach" (interview, December 2015).Similar opinions are argued by the visitors that the promotion of the beach seems to attract more people to come.They argued that promotions through pictures and videos show something "nice and beautiful only".In fact, current condition of the beach indicates that less attention has been given by stakeholders in Bulukumba regency.
The author's observation in April 2017 has indicated that there has been change at Bira beach particularly the role of the local government in the management of the rubbish.There has been operational car intended for cleaning the rubbish at the beach.The local government has employed staff who are responsible for cleaning the beach by utilis-ing the operational car.The staff should clean the beach regularly, if not, the beach will be full of sea weeds.According to the staff, they dig holes at the beach to put the sea weeds.This enables the sea weeds are changed to become sand.
Bira beach actually needs attention in terms of management that involves different stakeholders.The visitors argue that efforts are needed to manage Bira beach so that it can support Bira beach as superior tourism attraction of South Sulawesi.Concept of stewardship is one of approaches that might be useful in achieving the goal of sustainable management of beach as tourism attraction.Such concept is based on the actual condition of Bira beach.Bira beach and its surrounding area has been well recognised as tourism zone.This can be seen in the existence of accommodation business (hotel, guest house, inns) in most area of Bira village.

Structural Stewardship
Supervision by the Board of Tourism and Culture of Bulukumba regency for Bira beach enables the involvement of the local government.The role of the regional board of tourism is important as the facilitator for community development.Bira beach should be managed based on the principle of involving different stakeholders.The Regional Board of Tourism can work as the leader in enhancing different stakeholders to actively get involved in the management of Bira beach.
Structural stewardship is an option if the local government participates in the management of Bira beach as tourism attraction.Ruhanan (2014) argues that greater responsibility by the governments at all levels can affect the success of destination management because they plan and develop attractions in a destination.Structural stewardship means positioning the local government as the leader of beach management as tourism attraction.The local government has the authority to create regulation that can help stakeholders to work based on the principles of sustainable tourism.
Structural stewardship provides the opportunity for the members of the community to get involved in the management of Bira beach.The first action that the local government can do is creating organisation or structures where the representative of different groups of community can be the members of the organisation based on the structure created by the government.Second, it is necessary to ensure that the structural organisation works based on stewardship principles including responsibility to care the existence of Bira beach as superior tourism attraction.
Third, the local government should focus on providing information to the local people about the consequences of Asean Economic Community (AEC).By understanding AEC, the local people are encouraged to really work in order to win competition in human resources.The concept of stewardship guides related members of the community to realise that the government is not the only actor who can care the existence of Bira beach.
The concept of stewardship is relatively new for most tourism attractions destinations.The local government of Bantaeng regency in South Sulawesi for example, tends to use integrated concept for the management of Marina Beach.Marina beach is a marinebased tourism attraction managed by the local government with the involvement of different stakeholders.Integrated management for Marina Beach is considerably successfull in terms of participation of different groups of community.The number of visitors grows rapidly since it opens as tourism attraction.To manage the beach, the local government gives responsibility to related local government boards (DinasDinas) to manage certain area.Although the beach is supervised by the local government through integrated management, such approach enables different groups of community to participate in tourism.The concept of stewardship in particular, stresses on not only the local government, but also other members of community who reside around the beach.Bira beach should be managed based on the concept of stewardship (structural stewardship) through the role of the local government.

Functional Stewardship
Functional stewardship means the role of all members of the community particularly the tourism industry to care for the existence of Bira beach as tourism attraction.First, on the coastal area of Bira, there are groups of community who provide service for the visitors such as selling vouvenirs, renting boats, selling foods, and snacks.These groups of people should position themselves as the main gate for the tourists or visitors who enjoy the beach.Hence, functional stewardship requires the role of these people to provide excellent service as well as to care for the cleanliness of the beach.
Second, the tourism industry (accommodation and restaurant or cafe) have responsibility to employ human resources based on the principles of competencies.One of the purposes of competence employees in the tourism industry is to give good service to the tourists.The concept of stewardship encourages the accummulation of service to tourists during visiting Bira beach.
Third, the visitors or tourists also play important in maintaining the sustainability of the beach.Mason (2004) affirms that tourists behaviour is affected by the socio-cultural condition of the destination community.In this sense, it is necessary for the local community to understand and implement the principles of protecting and conserving the environment.The way destination community protects the environment will influence the tourists behaviour.Stewardship concerns the responsibility of the destination community to provides examples of mechanism in protecting the environment.Hence, respon-sible tourists can encourage the implementation of stewardship for sustainable tourism.

Independent Stewardship
The local people who reside the area of Bira beach is likely the most people who have the right to participate on the management of the beach.Currently, the local people have participated in different forms including selling foods and drinks around the area of the beach, selling souvenirs as well as working as employees in the accomodation sector such as inns and hotels.In order to maximise the level of participation of the local community and to maintain Bira beach as the main choice of tourists, they can be given an opportunity to create an independent units, boards or organisations on the local level.
Independent stewardship can be defined as the local people's initiative to manage the beach under the framework of togetherness.Principle of togetherness is essential because the continuity of the tourists' visit depends on how the local people provide good services to the community.In other words, the sustainability of Bira beach as tourism attraction should be managed by cooperative actions among the local people at Bira beach.To implement this approach, there are three steps that the local people should do.First, souvenir and retail sellers, accommodation employees (including owners and managers), owners of beach entertainment (banana boat owners/operators) and other relevant community should make a consensus concerning the creation of a unit or organisation for the internal management of the beach.The unit is responsible for organising activities related to managing beach as tourism attraction.

Organization/Unit as Independent Stewardship
Issues on environment and awareness Second, the unit should work based on three main principles including planning and implementing programs, advocating and monitoring.In order to optimise the role of the unit or organisation, it is important to emphasise that the unit is an independent stewardship that works for community services and the environmental activities at Bira beach.Planning programs can be varied depending on the needs of the local people.Planning programs should cover the requirements of stewardship units including sustainability, responsibility and service to the community.
The programs will not be succesful if they are not supported with efforts of advocating other stakeholders to support the programs.Advocating means persuading, influencing and attracting other groups of people to get in involved in the implementation of the programs.Monitoring is the most important aspect for the implementation of the independent stewardship.Third, the unit should start to provide regular activities for the local community once the unit has been created.Activities on training and education (in particular, issues on environment, awareness, and tourism) are expected to help the local community to understand sustainable tourism.

CONCLUSION
The government at all levels in Indonesia has argued that beach is natural potential that can attract more tourists visit destinations.Similarly, the local community around the coastal area has utilised beach for the purpose of obtaining income.Nevertheless, attention of government and community seems to focus on providing service to visitors or tourists without considering the quality of experience by the tourists.The understanding of consequences of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) by community and the local government might not affect the management of beach as tourism attraction.Hence, strategic management is required to help community obtain sustainable income as well as to help the local government facili-tate the management of beach as tourism attraction.
This paper has recommended three approaches in achieving sustainable benefits for the community through the utilisation of beach as tourism attraction.The expectation or the needs of visitors when visiting beach might not be achieved particularly if the beach is not well managed.Bathing, yachting, fishing, swimming, sunbathing and enjoyment expected by tourists may not be achieved if principles of responsibility are not implemented.This paper argues that stewardship is an option for responsible management of beach as tourism attraction.Structural, functional, and independent stewardships are essential because each members of the tourism stakeholders have the role and responsibility to take care of the beach.Indeed, the goal of stewardship is to achieve sustainable management of beach as tourism attraction.Hence, implementing stewardship means helping different stakeholders to achieve sustainable tourism as expected by the tourism industry, government and the community.
The proposed concepts of stewardship can be implemented through five interrelated steps.First, it is necessary to position the local government as the facilitator and leader for the management of Bira beach as tourism attraction.Second, creating organisation or unit of management in which the members come from the local community.Third, planning and implementing programs that help community to participate in tourism and conservation activities at the beach such as empowerment and education and training.Fourth, encouraging the tourism industry to work based on the principles of responsibility (sustainability) and competencies.Fifth, it is necessary to include related stakeholders and accommodate their voice in the policy making facilitated by the local government.In addition, the value of stewardship for Bira beach should be reflected on the willingness of related stakeholders to manage it based on the visitors' positive demand.This will then help the sustainability of Bira beach as superior tourism attraction.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Independent stewardship for the Management of Beach as Tourism Attraction Source: Author, 2017