[en] Since the 1930s, Bali has been generally seen as a traditional tourism destination quite fashionable. Nowadays, a new kind of tourism, rather esoteric if not totally spiritual, is emerging on this small "paradise" often referred as a natural untouched and cultural preserved island. To attire more international tourists, the "Island of Gods", as the tourism promoters still name this tropical holiday paradise, is now also targeting on the industry of "well-being". This article deals about the specificity of the local tourism activity which is based on a strong cultural identity and a rich natural and also religious heritage. Uncontrolled development of this predatory industry brings also a lot of new problems, such as pollution or acculturation. Here, our aim is to focus and analyse the real and false ties between heritage, development and tourism, always by keeping in mind that the regional motto about tourism policy still is to encourage "cultural tourism" as a real model (a "brand", in fact) of success. We especially try to explain, in this current work (still in progress), the touristic situation in the main cultural site located on the island: Ubud. This small city, really boosting during the last decade, is worldwide reputed for the rich cultural performances and seen as "the" artistic capital of Bali. Ubud offers also a perfect example of an intense and dynamic bond between cultural heritage and economic development. Often for the best and sometimes also for the worse. In this rural but international spot, it seems that tourism business allows the local population to live in better ways and, sometimes, even to reborn, culturally speaking! Our case study shows also the big threats behind the current tourism policy: the large scale business occurred by globalization and all the tourism opportunities thus provided cannot hide the real weakness that for sure also concern the balinese way of thinking and living. Cultural tourism could rapidly be transformed in a dangerous kind of tourism of the culture, with all the big (and bad) changes the Balinese don't want to see happening on their lovely and holy island. So, the present reflection conducts us to think more deeply on some new and alternative ways of developing tourism in Bali. Finally, our aim is to think, first by listening to the desire of the Balinese themselves, in which best manner this "last paradise" will not become a "lost paradise".

[fr] Cet article traite de la spécificité de l'activité touristique à Bali, fondée sur une identité locale forte et un riche patrimoine naturel et culturel mais aussi troublante en raison de l'importance et la complexité des jeux d'acteurs, ou encore des contextes sociaux, religieux et géopolitiques propres à ce territoire insulaire. Nous analyserons les liens pérennes ou non entre patrimoine et développement en focalisant sur ce qui fait l'image de marque de Bali sur les plans touristique et politique : le tourisme culturel. Cette étude de cas illustre les dynamiques d'acteurs dans le cadre de l'île de Bali où l'on constate une forte imbrication entre tourisme international, protection de l'environnement et promotion du patrimoine culturel. Vendue comme un paradis tropical, perçue comme l'île des Dieux, Bali se voit contrainte de mesurer les risques d'un tourisme culturel qui se transformerait trop rapidement en culture touristique. Des pistes seront proposées afin d'encourager l'ensemble des acteurs à œuvrer pour que le " dernier paradis " (last paradise) ne devienne pas un " paradis perdu " (lost paradise).