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number of regency administrations in Bali have been urged to amend regulations governing the sharing of revenue between the administrations and local communities that maintain tourist destinations.

Nengah Moneng, head of the community that manages Penglipuran village in Bangli, said the prevailing regulation stipulated that the community was required to give 60 percent of the total revenue gained from tourist visits to the regency administration.

He said he objected to the fact that his community only received 40 percent of the total revenue, adding that they needed a larger percentage to cover operating costs.

'€œWe want to have the 60 percent share because we have to use some of the revenue for operating costs. As things stand at the moment, we only share what'€™s left after those costs are paid.'€

He added that the community'€™s share of the revenue was split, with part of it going into the village'€™s treasury and the remainder going to the management board.

'€œIf we could retain a larger share, then the village would have a higher income,'€ he said, arguing that the village had been developed according to the concept of community-based tourism.

Wayan Budiarsa, Penglipuran village'€™s caretaker, said the management board charged adult foreign tourists Rp 10,000 (88 US cents) per person and Rp 7,500 for children. Meanwhile, domestic tourists paid Rp 7,500 for adults and Rp 5,000 for children.

Penglipuran offers various activities for visitors, including trekking, classes in traditional dance and how to conduct religious offerings, as well as cultural shows. The village also has lodges where tourists can stay, and a community hall for meetings.

Budiarsa said a change in the revenue percentage allocated to such villages would benefit tourism island-wide. '€œAs long as a revision is implemented not only by the Bangli administration, but also by other regencies,'€ he added.

Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu, head of Bali'€™s Tourism Agency, said the authority to amend the regulation lay with the regency administration, not the provincial one. However, he urged all regency administrations to accommodate the needs of the local communities.

'€œWe hope the regency administrations will be wise and adopt policies that favor the local people.'€

He said that tourism villages were managed by local communities by establishing a management board or through a third party, but he stressed that communities should not be left at a disadvantage.

He also called on management boards across the island to improve the way they manage tourist destinations, saying his agency had received a number of complaints from tourists concerning illegal levies, cleanliness and service.