The attractiveness of a post-mining city as a tourist destination from the perspective of visitors: a study of Sawahlunto old coal mining town in Indonesia

Abstract

Mining has been a basis of development for industrial societies. A mining city was an engine of economic growth for a region by providing employment and gaining revenue from the mining industry. Nevertheless, in the post-mining period, a city such as this suffers from a lot of problems inherited from the mining era, ranging from economic incapability, social structure change, and environmental degradation. Transforming mining-heritage values for tourism applications has become a prevalent choice for many post-mining cities around the world. The attractiveness of mining-related resources is one of the determinants in the success of tourism development in these cities. This study measures the attractiveness of tourism resources within a smaller post-mining city from the perspective of the visitors. Twenty-two types of resources are identified and categorized into three groups: core resources, created resources, and supporting resources. Questionnaire surveys were distributed to 100 random visitors in Sawahlunto, an old coal mining city in Indonesia. Using a five-point Likert scale, these measured the levels of attractiveness respondents had for each resource. Study results reveal that natural beauty, mining heritage sites, museums, and architectural features are the most attractive resources found in a post-mining city by visitors. These resources become the primary motivation for their visit. It also confirms that visitors will likely arrange return trips in the future.

Regional competitiveness of a post‐mining city in tourism: Ombilin coal mining heritage of Sawahlunto, Indonesia

“…A wide range of tourist products, services, and experiences is expected to attract various markets and help the city to exceed regional competitors. A previous study in the Sawahlunto post-mining town confirmed that most tourists come to see cultural features and mining heritage sites, followed by those who visit to enjoy the natural beauty and relax from daily activities (Armis & Kanegae, 2019). This study further indicated that visitors come to learn about the history of coal mining at this site and experience miner activities in the remaining mining facilities, rather than to engage in leisure activities.…”

“…The main attractor is generally split into four categories, as shown in Table 1. The attractiveness of the natural and cultural mining heritage features has outweighed that of created and supporting resources (Armis & Kanegae, 2019). Mining heritage tourism is also continually recognized by visitors as appealing not only to elderly people, but also to young visitors who did not live through the mining era.…”

Second Life of Post-Mining Infrastructure in Light of the Circular Economy and Sustainable Development—Recent Advances and Perspectives

“…Moreover, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council's estimations [32], tourism was the fastest growing industry worldwide until the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of underground, profitable tourist routes in Europe are, among others, Wieliczka salt Mine in Poland [33], Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, Germany [34], Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine in Japan [35], and the Ruskeala Mining Park [17]. Still, considering the involvement of the mining industry in local budgets, there is no possibility to fill this gap only with a simple transformation into the tourism industry [35].…”

“…Examples of underground, profitable tourist routes in Europe are, among others, Wieliczka salt Mine in Poland [33], Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, Germany [34], Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine in Japan [35], and the Ruskeala Mining Park [17]. Still, considering the involvement of the mining industry in local budgets, there is no possibility to fill this gap only with a simple transformation into the tourism industry [35]. One of the infamous examples of "tourism after mining" may be the Hokkaido coal-mining region in Japan, where after a mine closure in Yubari City, even with strong support of local administration and high investment into tourism, the local community suffered bankruptcy and the population in the town shrank from 12,000 to 500 people [36].…”

Analysis of Rural Tourism Demand Characteristics and Experience Differences Based on Association Rule Mining

“…Changes in rural tourism have an impact on the development positioning, industrial structure, and employment of the entire tourism industry. Research believes that tourism is a policy choice of local governments and a more general partial response of rural areas to the ever-changing continental and global economy [22]. As a new economic activity that replaces agriculture, tourism has changed the agricultural structure, restructured the countryside, and changed government decisions and long-term family decisions, directly affecting the organizational structure of rural communities, environmental quality, and inter-city relations.…”