All these factors have only reinforced the competitiveness of DIY as a primary tourist destination province not only for domestic but also for foreign tourists. The reference to Prawirotaman and Sosrowijayan as ”international villages” prove the closeness of the atmosphere of Yogyakarta with the ”exotic taste” of foreign tourists.
West Java
The West Javanese are known to be religious with their rich cultural legacy and traditional lofty values. They also pursue a social behavior based on the philosophy that can be summed up locally as ”silih-asih, silih-asah, silih-asuh” , which literally means ”loving each other, providing knowledge to each other and fostering each other”, and practised among the local community,.
The tourism sector is also one of the potential sectors for development in West Java. This province can boast a variety of tourist objects, related to nature, culture or history. Its nature-related tourism covers among others Puncak area, Salabintana, Lembang, Tangkuban Perahu, Mount Papandayan, Bogor Botanical Garden, Juanda Forest Park in Bandung, Mounts Gede and Pangrango National park, Ujung Kulon National Park, the Pelabuhan Ratu beach in Sukabumi, the Pangandaran Beach in Ciamis and Carita in Anyer.
Culture-related tourism covers among others Cangkuang Temple in Leles, Garut and Baduy and Sisingaan villages in Tasikmalaya while history-relatd tourism covers the Kasepuan royal palace in Cirebon, Old Banten in Naga village, Serang, historical relics of Megalithicum in Cipari, Kuningan and Boscha Observatory in Bandung. In 1997 there were 1,262 hotels and other forms of lodging with a total capacity of 37,094 rooms. Aside from the locations already referred to, there are still many other tourist objects in West Java.
East Java
Nature-related tourism in East Java include among others Lake Sarangan, Tretes, Mount Bromo National Park, Mount Tengger, Mount Ketanggungan in Arjuna, Mount Semeru, Alas Purwo and Baturetno in Malang, White Sandy Beach in Situbondo, Popoh Beach, Pacitan Beach, Ngliyep Beach and marine tourism in several places in East Java.
Culture-related tourism covers among others Panataran Temple, Jawi Temple, Jago Temple and Singosari Temple in Malang, water buffalo race in Madura, the ”labuhan” rite along the South Sea coast, Ponorogo reog traditional art and ludruk. Meanwhile, history-related tourism may include the graves of the earliest propagators of Islam in Java such as Sunan Ampel, Sunan Giri, Sunan Bonang, Sunan Mojoagung and Sunan Drajat, the grave of Bung Karno, Trowulan, which is home to the relics from the Majapahit Kingdom, and Empu Tantular Museum.
A large population size and their relatively good education make up a human resources with a great potential to be developed and made more productive through various manpower training programs that are adjusted to the needs. In relation with the regional autonomy, human resources assume great significance because creative human resources will have great creativity and a strong working ethos so that they can produce a high added value for a region.
Central Java
The tourism sector is also one of the primary sectors for the province of Central Java. This province is endowed with varied tourist objects, related to nature, culture or history. Its nature-related tourism covers Tawangmangu, Baturaden, Dieng, Kopeng, Penyu Gulf in Cilacap, Kartini Beach in Jepara, Widuri Beach in Pemalang, Petruk Cave, Lawa Cave, Jatijajar Cave, swallow bird’s nests in Kebumen and Nusa Kambangan.
Culture-related tourism in Central Java include among others Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, Gedong Songo Temple and Sukuh Temple. Meanwhile, history-related tourism covers Sangiran Museum in Surakarta, Mangkunegaran Museum in Surakarta, Surakarta Royal Palace, the grave of Sunan Kalijaga in Kadilangu, Demak, the grave of Sunan Muria, Demak Mosque, left behind by the earliest propagators of Islam in Java in 16th century and the Kartini Museum.
These tourist objects in Central Java have always been crowded by domestic and foreign tourists. The province of Central Java is strategically located as it is in the middle of centers of economic activities in Java island, namely, between the western region development centers like Jakarta – Bogor -Tangerang and Bekasi and the eastern region, which covers Gresik- Bangkalan-Mojokerta – Surabaya – Sidoarjo – Lamongan (abbreviated into Gerbangkertasusila) and the planned toll road in Yogyakarta – Solo – Semarang (Joglosemar).
