KUTA, Bali (BPN) – The Doctoral Program in Tourism Business at Politeknik Negeri Bali (PNB) hosted the Sustainable Tourism Business International Symposium (STBis) PNB 2026, an academic forum that brought together academics, tourism industry practitioners, and doctoral students from various countries.
Held at Grand Istana Rama Hotel in Kuta, Bali, on Friday (March 13, 2026), the symposium carried the theme “Embedding Inclusivity and Sustainability for the Resilience of Future Tourism.”
The event was attended by dozens of participants from five countries—Indonesia, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Participants included not only academics but also tourism industry professionals and representatives from associations connected to the tourism sector.
According to the symposium’s organizing committee chair, Prof. Ni Made Ernawati, MATM., Ph.D., the forum was designed to discuss strategies for developing a more sustainable tourism sector while strengthening the resilience of the global tourism industry.
The event also served as a platform for exchanging ideas and presenting research findings related to sustainable tourism business development.
“This event essentially supports the seminar learning process within our PhD program. Currently, our doctoral students consist of two cohorts, most of whom are industry practitioners such as general managers and department heads,” she said.
Prof. Ernawati explained that the symposium plays a crucial role as an academic platform for doctoral students and researchers to present their studies.
She added that scientific forums are particularly important at the doctoral level of education, as they allow researchers to share findings and receive feedback from academics as well as practitioners with direct field experience.
“As doctoral-level academics, we need scientific forums to present research findings and deepen academic understanding. That is why we organize a symposium specifically focused on tourism business and how the sector can grow sustainably,” she added.
The forum also provides participants with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of strategic issues currently facing the global tourism industry.
Prof. Ernawati emphasized that sustainability has now become a global agenda that tourism industry stakeholders can no longer ignore.
Therefore, research presented during the symposium is expected to produce recommendations that can help guide the sustainable development of the tourism sector.
She explained that sustainability is not solely related to economic aspects but also encompasses social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. These three elements must be balanced to ensure that tourism development delivers long-term benefits.
Prof. Ernawati also highlighted the importance of integrating Balinese local wisdom values into tourism business practices. These values, she noted, have significant potential to support sustainable development while also improving company performance within the tourism sector.
However, she acknowledged that Bali still faces several challenges in achieving truly sustainable tourism. Some of these challenges relate to environmental issues, such as flooding and waste management, which still require improvement.
“Everyone must contribute, starting from the smallest level—whether communities, educational institutions, or industry players. Hotels, for example, generate a significant amount of waste, so initiatives such as recycling and waste reduction are extremely important,” she explained.
She also stressed the importance of maintaining the quality of Bali’s tourism sector by balancing the number of tourist arrivals with the economic value generated.
This approach is considered essential to ensure that tourism growth continues to provide positive impacts for both the environment and local communities.
Meanwhile, Ketut Darmayasa, General Manager of Grand Istana Rama Hotel, expressed appreciation to Politeknik Negeri Bali for choosing the hotel as the venue for the international symposium.
According to him, the forum also provided an opportunity to discuss various challenges Bali faces in maintaining the sustainability of its tourism sector.
He noted that although Bali recorded around 7.1 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, the figure accounted for nearly 50 percent of Indonesia’s total international tourist visits. Despite this achievement, Bali continues to face several critical issues that require serious attention.
Key topics discussed during the symposium included waste management, clean water availability, the potential for an energy crisis due to global geopolitical tensions, and increasing traffic congestion in major tourist areas.
In addition to local challenges, global developments have also begun to affect Bali’s tourism sector.
Darmayasa explained that several flights from Europe and the Middle East were recently canceled due to geopolitical tensions that affected airport operations in those regions.
“The impact is starting to be felt, particularly in tourist arrivals from Europe and the Middle East. Hopefully the situation will improve soon, because the biggest concern is the potential for an energy shortage,” he said.
Discussions at the forum are also expected to generate concrete recommendations to support the future development of sustainable tourism in Bali.
 PNB 2026, an academic forum that brought together academics, tourism industry practitioners, and doctoral students from various countries.){kind=link}