Did the Solar Eclipse of 9 March 2016 Attract Tourist to Come to Indonesia?

Abstract

Solar eclipse phenomenon is one of the spectacular events in nature. On 9 March 2016, the solar eclipse happened in several regions in Indonesia. This event attracted tourists to visit Indonesia. The tourists came for not only seeing the beautiful solar eclipse scene but also getting sensation of myths and cultures in Indonesia during the solar eclipse. Here, the aim of this study was to discuss about the effects of solar eclipse event on the increases in the number of tourists to Indonesia and influence of foreign exchange in Indonesia. Research methodology used in this study was a literature study comparing to statistical data of a number of tourists who come to Indonesia. To investigate about myths in Indonesia, we took literature study by collecting information from international journals relating to myths in Indonesia. Afterwards, to investigate the tourist effect on economy of Indonesia, we used data from Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics about hotel occupancy and exchange rate . The data was also compared to the economic data (before and after total solar eclipse occur). In conclusion, although ancient people agree that the solar eclipse is a dangerous event, the modern people think that the event is one of the spectacular phenomena. Combination of beautiful nature with myths and cultures in Indonesia attracted more tourists to visit Indonesia. Indeed, the event gave beneficial points for Indonesian people because tourists gave a financial advantage to local people. Thus, the long-term goal is to give information that Indonesian people must be able to take chance the natural wealth of Indonesia to attract tourists to improve the local economy in Indonesia.

Early Planning for Total Solar Eclipse Events: Factors in Sustainable Tourism Development

“…Moreover, according to our results, exploitation of cultural heritage and cultural sites related to astronomy (myths, sites, etc.) was identified as an important variable and the finding of this paper provides some support for the findings of Haristiani et al (2016) and Kunjaya et al (2019). On the basis of the results of this research, training amateur astronomers can be seen as an crucial variable for education of early planning in destinations for a total solar eclipse and our results confirm the findings of Jiwaji (2016).…”

“…Jiwaji (2016) introduced Tanzania as a destination for the viewing of stars and mentions setting up of fixed or mobile observatories especially in rural areas without light pollution and training local astro-tour guides as operational solutions for promoting astronomical tourism. Haristiani et al (2016) discussed that the solar eclipse of 9 March 2016 attracted tourists to Indonesia and the results illustrate that the tourists not only travelled to see the solar eclipse, but they also wanted to get a sensation of myths and cultures in Indonesia during the solar eclipse. Furthermore, the authors argue that the solar eclipse event brought benefits for local communities.…”

“…We considered a summary of work being carried out in the field of total solar eclipse and tourism. A critical review at a glance demonstrated that the majority of research emphasizes the benefits of astronomical events for local communities (Kline, 2017;Greenville news, 2017;Agiesta, 2017;Haristiani et al, 2016) and the other academic works explained about operational solutions for better management of astronomical events (Kunjaya et al, 2019;Fienberg, 2019;Rao, 2017;Jiwaji, 2016). Therefore, it can be said that there is a lack of academic research regarding the identification of the effective factors for early planning in destinations for a total solar eclipse event and the results of this study can reinforce the literature in this regard.…”

Ionospheric Effects During the Total Solar Eclipse Over Southeast Asia‐Pacific on 9 March 2016: Part 1. Vertical Movement of Plasma Layer and Reduction in Electron Plasma Density

“…On 9 March 2016, a total solar eclipse occurred over Indonesia and the Pacific region. The eclipse totality trajectory passed through the entire Indonesian longitude sector from west to east, and the solar eclipse event generated much public interest in the realms of education and tourism (Haristiani et al, ; Nugrahani, ). The Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) took part in nation‐wide efforts to educate the public about various aspects of this unique natural phenomenon, and to clarify some serious misguided beliefs that had unfortunately been perpetuated in the past (see e.g.…”