Bali Tourism – rebutting Bali’s ‘No-Go’ Fodor Listing
Following Bali being named to the top of Fodor’s Global “No-Go” List of over-exploited tourism destinations Not a List On Which Bali Wants to Be Seen! Indonesia’s new Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, insists that crowded situations in some parts of Bali are not the result of “overtourism” but reflect the crowded and uneven development in the Island’s southern region.
Continuing in the same vein, Widiyanti blames any impression of overtourism on the uneven development of the Island that overwhelmingly focuses on the Island’s southern region. Meanwhile, Bali’s western and northern areas are severely underdeveloped in terms of tourism.
In an explanation issued by the Tourism Minister on Friday, 22 November 2024, Widiyanti said she is aware of the problems posed by the uneven pattern of development and issues of “overtourism” poised by Fodoor’s “No-Go” for 2025 List placing Bali at the top of that list.
Continuing, Tourism Minister Widyanti commented: “The Ministry of Tourism will not sit idly by. In September 2024, the then Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, collaborating with local governments and tourism stakeholders, launched the ‘3B Tourism Package,’ promoting Banyuwangi, West Bali, and North Bali, intended to widen the choice of new tourist destinations. The tourism packages feature and promote the attractions of each region. This includes nature, culture, man-made tourism attractions, and tourist villages.
Enumerating the many tourism options in Bali, located outside the Island’s crowded southern regions, the Minister mentioned the Tourism Village of Les, Lovina, and the Pemuteran Tourism Area of Pemuteran on the Island’s north shore. Also noted by the Minister was the Regency of Jembrana and the West Bali National Park, home to the rare and endangered Bali Starling. Meanwhile, Banyuwangi in East Java has many interesting tourist sites, including the Village of Kemiren, G-Land for surfing, Alas Purwo, and the Kawah Ijen volcano.
The Minister invites all elements of the tourism community to discuss how best to develop tourism in North Bali while also inviting the local and international media to visit North Bali and see its many tourism possibilities.
“With these steps, we remain optimistic that we can reduce tourism inequality and develop a more sustainable form of tourism in Bali that truly benefits the local community,” said Tourism Minister Widiyanti.
The Tourism Ministry Deputy for Destination and Infrastructure Development, Hariyanto, stressed that the Ministry of Tourism remains committed to developing sustainable tourism policies to protect Balinese culture, environment, and welfare.
“We have also increased coordination with local governments, tourism industry players, and local communities to address issues such as waste management, pollution, and social pressures due to tourism,” added Hariyanto.
Shortly after her inauguration as Indonesian Tourism Minister, Widiyanti launched concrete steps to enhance “destination management” by distributing tourists over a wider area of Bali and to 5 New Super Priority Destinations (DPSP) beyond Bali (i.e., Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur, Mandalika in Lombok, Labuan Bajo, and Likupang).
“We are trying to coordinate across institutions to take firm action against tourists who violate the law, norms, and customs and to take action against tourists who abuse their visas,” said Hariyanto.
The Ministry of Tourism continues to promote community-based tourism, strengthen environmental regulations, and educate tourists and related stakeholders to respect local culture better and maintain the sustainability of Bali’s nature
Only 40% Foreign Visitors Pay Rp. 150K Tax
The Provincial Government of Bali continues to collect a “tourism tax” (PWA) of Rp. 150,000 from all foreign visitors to Bali.
An imperfect and badly flawed tax collection system has managed to collect only Rp. 287 billion since the introduction of the tax on 14 February 2024. As reported by TRIBUN-BALI.COM and BaliPost.com, the Bali Tourism Service says the tax funds have come from taxes paid by only 40% of the 4.7 million tourists calculated to have visited Bali over the preceding 9 months.
These numbers indicate that some 60% of visiting foreign tourists are not paying the mandated tax.
The head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Service, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, heads a monitoring and evaluation committee whose membership includes the Tourism Service of Klungkung Regency, The Bali Guide Association (HPI), the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Association of Travel Agents (ASITA-Bali), the Provincial Enforcement Agency (Satpol PP), National Unity and Political Agency (Badan Kesbangpol), The Bali Development Bank (Bank BPD), the Foreigner Tourism Tax Collection Team, and the Kertagosa Management Team.
Pemayun, who heads the monitoring team and led a meeting at The Kertha Gosa Park discussing the PWA, admitted that most foreign visitors fail to pay the tax when visiting Bali.
To increase the number of tourists paying the tax, the Provincial Government has introduced the “Love Bali “Application” which allows visitors to carry a helpful mobile source of information on Bali tourism that will also contain a “proof of payment” receipt for the PWA.
The Provincial Administration of Bali is also seeking help from Bali’s travel agents to spread the news on the tax and persuade foreign visitors to pay the PWA obligation of Rp. 150,000.
Police Bust Illicit Drug Factory in Bali
Balipost.com and Kompas.com have reported that National and Bali Provincial Police are continuing their investigation to determine if there was any discernable foreign involvement or backing in connection with a major police bust on Monday, 18 November 2024, surrounding a narcotics factory discovered located in a luxury villa on Jalan Cempaka Gading, Ungasan – Uluwatu, South Bali.
Police Commissioner Wahyu Widada told the press that police were examining the possibility that the case has links with an international narcotics network. Police suspicions of foreign involvement were strengthened by their belief that the Bali drug factory was manufacturing hashish destined for sale overseas.
Police investigations in connection with the Bali narcotics factory resulted from an initial discovery of 25 kilograms of hashish in Yogyakarta shipped to Holland in September 2024. Police were subsequently able to trace the hashish confiscated in Yogyakarta back to its place of production in Bali.
Commenting further, Officer Wahyu said the laboratory equipment seized by police in Bali came from Mainland China (PRC). The subject equipment, according to police, is typically used for the manufacture of hashish and large quantities of the psychotropic narcotic “Happy Five.”
Police say the Bali narcotic “factory” has been operating for two months from a villa rented for Rp. 2 million per day. Police believe the narcotics factory regularly changed addresses to avoid detection or raising the suspicions of neighbors. Police have identified locales on Jalan Gatot Subroto in Denpasar and a building in Padangsambian in Denpasar as previous locations used before opening the narcotics factory in Uluwatu.
At the Uluwatu crime scene, police uncovered laboratory equipment and raw materials waiting to be processed into finished narcotics for eventual sale.
During the Bali police raid, four people were taken into custody, together with Rp. 1.5 trillion in cash, 53,210 “Happy Five” pills, and 30 kilograms of hashish – all seized in the raid. Police are withholding the names of the four people now held in police custody while police are still seeking a further four people involved in the narcotics factory.
The police openly named one suspect, Denny Akbar Hidayat (28), who is under medical care at the Trijata Police Hospital in Bali. Police have identified four more people in police custody, but only by their initials: MR (30), RR (25), and N (27).
“Happy Five,” a narcotic also known as “Erimin Five” or “nimetazepam,” is a prescription drug used to treat severe insomnia. Considered a strong pharmaceutical, Erimin Five should only be dispensed under the care of a physician due to possible side effects and the dangers of dependency.
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