Transforming Bali's Tourism Through Intellectual Property: A WIPO Project Highlight

The IP Boost for Bali’s Tourism

A new project to integrate intellectual property (IP) into the local business landscape in Bali, Indonesia has come to a successful conclusion. The initiative, which was a collaborative effort between WIPO and the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, focused on the spa and craft sectors of Bali's vibrant tourism industry.

The project, entitled “Boosting Tourism Development through the use of IP”, aimed to promote IP knowledge and skills through training and mentoring programs, and enabled 25 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to incorporate IP strategies into their business models.

Sustainable Success and Future

Tourism is a critical economic driver around the world, including in Indonesia. In 2019, tourism directly accounted for 5% of Indonesia's GDP, generating USD 18.3 billion in revenue. Bali itself, a major hub in Indonesia's archipelago, drew over 6.2 million international visitors in 2019 and supported roughly 500,000 jobs—half of the island's total workforce.

The project's focus on Bali's craft and wellness sectors resulted in social and economic impacts for the participating entrepreneurs such as Cici and Gomgom of MachaStore who transformed their business. Lacking IP protection initially, now they have successfully filed new trademarks and rebranded their products, exemplifying the project’s impact.

Significant achievements in market access and brand enhancement have also emerged as a result of the project. During project implementation, three businesses, including ETNEEQ and MachaStore, expanded their reach into international markets, with ETNEEQ securing orders from the United Kingdom and MachaStore now offering its products under its own trademark with its own store in Switzerland through exclusive partnership agreement.

Moreover, the project facilitated the filing of 13 individual trademarks and assisted four businesses in rebranding their products and services, substantially increasing their brand visibility and market presence. These efforts were supported by the development of 16 robust business strategies with an IP component aiming at transforming operations and enhancing competitiveness.

UnBALIvable Success: Celebrating Transformation

A new collective brand, "UnBALIvable," has emerged as one important success of the Project. “UnBALIvable” captures the essence of Bali's unmatched artistic spirit creativity, and cultural richness, inviting the world to discover the magic of Bali’s creative economy.

The project’s achievements were showcased in a grand closing event on April 19, 2024, with the presence of H.E. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, and other government officials. The event showcased the profound impact and benefits of the project, celebrating a new chapter in Bali's tourism industry where intellectual property is a key driver of growth and innovation.

Background

“Boosting Tourism Development through the use of IP in Bali, Indonesia” is a project implemented in collaboration with the WIPO Regional and National Development Sector (RNDS) Projects’ Team, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia and the Provincial Government of Bali. The project focused on supporting the use of IP to boost the tourism industry and helped selected beneficiaries, in particular SMEs to add value to their products and services.