Baduy Cultural Tourism: An Ethnolinguistic Perspective

Abstract

This article discusses the dimensions of ethnolinguistic identity of Baduy people and their relationship to various aspects of cultural tourism, on the grounds that language is considered to be one of the central characteristics of Baduy identity, in addition to their traditional attire, customs, belief and way of life. In the context of tourism, as an ethnic group indigenous to the region where they reside, namely Lebak Regency, Banten, Indonesia, Baduy cultural identity plays an important role in the development of cultural tourism of the region. As an ethnic group, Baduy is known for its resistance against modernity, maintaining a secluded life without the use of any form of modern technology. From an ethnolinguistic perspective, this article sheds light on one difference (the absence of Sundanese language stratification, undak-usuk) that separates Baduy people from other Sundanese-speaking people in West Java. Upon looking at this aspect, this article adopts the concepts of one of the earliest ethnolinguistic studies conducted in the southern region of Chile as eloquently shared by Silva-Fuenzalida (1949). In the domain of cultural tourism, this article also adopts Sulaiman (2014) on a study of translating urban tourist icons within English–Malay perspective, underlining the contribution of ethnolinguistic view of Baduy people in promoting Baduy as tourist destination. In this light, this article suggests that due to its ethnolinguistic characteristics, Baduy has the potential to be one of Indonesia’s leading destinations for cultural tourism.