5.2.1 Data Collecting, Tourism Aceh before Tsunami 2004
Sources from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Aceh Province in 1997 – 1999, that the per capita regional income of Banda Aceh City in 1997 amount to IDR 2,002,880, 1998 amount to IDR 2,028,160, in 1999 amount to IDR 2,382,690.
Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Banda Aceh City 2001, data from 2000, significant contribution to build the economy of Banda Aceh city is transportation and communications sector (34.51%), followed by trade, hotel and restaurant sector (23.06%), agriculture sector (19.2%), service sector (8.76%). While other sectors (14.47%) include mining, processing, building, electricity and finance averaged 2.894% [79].
And based on data of Regional Planning and Development Agency of Banda Aceh City in 2009, development in trade, hotel and restaurant sector is 27.28%.
This indicates there is significant economic development of the trade and tourism sector, post tsunami Aceh in 2004 [80].
5.2.2 Discussion Disaster Heritage as Dark Tourism
Aceh disaster heritage become a site of dark tourism that attracts people from all over the world to see, to learn, to compare, to share etc. Data of Tourism Agency of Aceh Province shows significant number of tourist from 2010 - 2014 to come in Banda Aceh and neighborhood around the sites [81]. The author describes into charts shows in the Figure 26.
Figure 26. Significantly tourist attracts around the sites, affected to the neighborhood
5.2.3 Tsunami Survivor Testimonies
Tsunami survivors on the boat on the top of houses in Lampulo area decided to keep the relics. The community even made a book of testimonials from the local community that shared the experiences of 10 survivors in the book of “Mereka Bersaksi” or “Their Testimonies”, 2012 [82], printed by an independent tourism program. More complete testimonials are available through the Dark Tourism archive link. The following passages come from these testimonials:
Abasiah: “On Sunday, December 26, 2004, exactly a year ago, the day that we will never forget in our lifetimes, in the time in which there was a great disaster, never before seen or heard or imagined. Allah (The Majesty and Almighty) was showing some signs of his greatness and power, ALLAHU AKBAR…”
Samsudin: “....Without thinking, we were all climbed up Mrs. Abes house trough stairs. When the water has begun to look at the top of the road.
Apparently the sea floor was split, then came out all of the contents of the sea that has been buried for hundreds of years, the sea water was up to the mainland. When we got to the second floor, the water was still rising very fast.
Those peoples who were brought by the water were screaming asking for help.
The water was black color and mix with a wooden leaf from the seafloor…”
Mujiburizal: “The morning after our earthquake with most of the neighbors in the hallway Lampulo standing in a panic and did not dare to go home because the smaller aftershocks were still happening, fear of house collapsed.
Suddenly peoples running from the direction of TPI (a fish auction) Lampulo, by car, motorbike, or on foot while yelling rising sea ... sea water rise …water rise...”
Rina Ocvita: “On Sunday morning December 26, 2004 our family gathered at home, at 08.00 pm when the earthquake occurred is indeed very strong.
Our whole family felt scared and out of the house sitting in the front yard. Not long after, we saw people running while screaming "sea water rising - rising sea water ...”
Mahdani: “...While we were dismantle the fish, at around 07.00 pm a very powerful earthquake was occur. The boat was dismantle the fish had collided with the dock. Some people on the the boat asked for help to open the rope of the boat who attached, so as not to collide with the dock ...”
Ade Faulianda: “...me, my mother, and my grandmother were standing looking at houses that had been damaged by the earthquake. Not long after this, approximately 20 minutes later, I was surprised to see peoples running around and the fishermen were running went into the hallway of our house, shouting, SEA WATER RISE ...”
Erlina Mariana Rosada Sari: “...My mother ran back into our house, when she reached at the end of our house street, she was screaming hysterically and calling, “Abes…, Atik...ie laot ka di ek, ta ek laju u wateueh rumoh bertingkat, (rising seawater, quickly and directly up to the terraced house)... "
Adana Rizki: “...I did not know what the noise was and then I realized, it
rolled up the houses, goods, peoples with powerfully. And even I saw with my own eyes the ships also were carried away by the waves of the water... "
Eva Munira: “... all the neighbors were in front of each their house, included my family. I run quite relaxed and told with the neighbors about my position at the time when the earthquake occurred. Shortly thereafter came the roar of the waves which reminds me of the time at the beach, but my reverie broken after Heri (our cousin) ran while shouting, "Sea water rising sea water rise..."
Zulfikar: “...When the earthquake I saw all of the people went out of their house, there were some people on the street and yard. Well I saw the wall of Yah Peh houses was collapsed. Wak Som was crying hysterically, It was the last time I saw Wak Som before the flood came... "
5.2.4 Dark Tourism Archive
Preserving disaster heritage and displaying the testimonials of tsunami survivors is important. It could serve as a lesson for other disaster areas such as Japan, where many disaster relics have been destroyed. From the experience of Aceh, we know that the heritage of disaster does not only include sorrow, but education and other benefits. The authors included into the Aceh Tsunami Archive visualizing mechanism of disaster heritage sites to enhance such tourism. It is not only to teach the history of disasters to young people, but also to attract foreign tourists to visit Aceh’s disaster history sites, as well as to improve the economics of communities surrounding historical sites, shows in the Figure 27.
Figure 27. A testimonial of a tsunami survivor as Dark Tourism
The link of archive can be found in the link [83].