Transformation of a Coal Mining City into a Cultured Mining Heritage Tourism City in Sawahlunto, Indonesia: A Response to the Threat of Becoming a Ghost Town

ABSTRACT

This study discusses the transformation of Sawahlunto, Indonesia from a coal mining city into a cultured mining heritage tourism city as an effort to overcome the threat of becoming a “ghost town” following the demise of the coal mining industry. Interestingly, in less than 15 years, Sawahlunto was able to rise from this adversity by altering the city’s vision to become a cultured mining heritage tourism city. This success is inseparable from the stakeholders’ creativity as agents of change; they reutilized mining heritage resources as attractive tourism destinations. The agents’ ability to respond to the challenges facing this post-mining city was the main factor driving the city’s transformation and helping it escape from the threat of becoming a ghost town. Today, Sawahlunto has grown into a highly-valued cultured mining tourism city in Indonesia.

KEYWORDS:

• Agent of change
• challenge and response
• city transformation
• coal mining city
• mining heritage tourism
• Sawahlunto Indonesia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan/ LPDP), Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia.