T

his refers to an article titled '€œBali aims for 30 million foreign tourists,'€ (The Jakarta Post Online, April 22).

Bali infrastructure is already past the breaking point. One-lane roads cannot be widened and the sector that consists of 99 percent workers from other islands is barely holding its own against rent increases and lack of housing.

There are no groups who go to Bali to go shopping. The only shoppers are those tourists who are there for other reasons. The main street stores are all owned by foreigners, as are the big hotels.

They both cater to the short term, good-time tourists who are only interested in going to the beach, seeing a few Balinese sights and drinking: this aside from the huge surfer population that spends as little as possible.

Charles Jarrett
Jakarta