Prof. Heru explains the phenomenon of touristification that is prevalent in the present time. Touristification is the process of transforming a place into a tourist space and the associated impacts. In this context, tourism acts as a catalyst of globalization in local spaces, aiding in transformations within host regions across various aspects. The phenomenon of touristification can be understood as a consequence of the increasing ease of transportation and communication access in social relations within communities. Additionally, this process is closely related to historical processes and power relations from the global to the local level.

"The rising enthusiasm leads to a surge in tourism demand. An indication of this is during certain events such as long holidays, congestion will be encountered in tourist locations," he remarked.

Prof. Heru also elaborated on regional and urban spaces from the perspective of transportation, particularly ground transportation infrastructure. The distribution and configuration of existing ground transportation networks up to the present day are legacies of the colonial era. After colonization ended, the remaining transportation networks created disparities between regions. These disparities are also influenced by historical land use patterns. As a result of large-scale plantations during the colonial period, areas in the southern part of Java Island still have a concentration of protected areas and plantations much larger than those in the northern part. On the other hand, the northern part of Java Island, traversed by the Daendels Road (Pantura) as the main access for ground transportation, is becoming increasingly urbanized.

He also discussed the ‘four-sector economy’. The service sector, which is the tertiary sector in the ‘three-sector economy’, is broken down into the urbanization sector and the control sector. The breakdown of the service sector is a response to the development of the other two sectors, which are experiencing progress and modernization, namely the extractive (primary) and manufacturing (secondary) sectors. For example, within the extractive sector, there are now agropolitan areas and mining towns, while within the manufacturing sector, there are industrial zones. This development is driving the expansion of urban areas or massive urbanization, which needs to be controlled to minimize its negative impacts.

"This expansion is related to the control sector, which in this case involves capital, information, and/or knowledge of technology," he said.

He concluded that the existing disparities require government intervention. The increasing prevalence of toll roads needs to be balanced by maintaining the performance of national roads. Additionally, the government needs to assist regional funding in improving accessibility to tourist destinations through the modernization of road networks, including repairs, widening, and extending the length of roads.

"The private sector will not be interested in the public sector which is social in nature. It is the government's duty (since it is) related to accessibility and regional connectivity," he said.

Reporter: Hanifa Juliana (Urban and Regional Planning, 2020)
Translator: Firzana Aisya (Bioengineering, 2021)
Editor: Ayesha Lativa Mafaza (Postharvest Technology, 2021)