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Govt to reform tourism in Bali, minister Luhut says
Foreign arrivals in Bali have surged since the island reopened after COVID-19, and videos of misbehaving tourists often go viral, angering local residents and sparking harsh responses from social media users in Indonesia.
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Foreign tourists carry their surfboard as they walk along Kuta beach near Denpasar, Bali on Aug. 3, 2024. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka )
The government will conduct an audit to reform tourism in Bali to improve tourism quality and preserve local culture and jobs, a senior cabinet minister said on Friday
About 200,000 foreigners currently live in Bali and have created problems such as crime, overdevelopment and competition for employment, said Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on his Instagram page.
"Foreign tourists who bring problem here, such as narcotics, gangs and other issues, we can deport them from Indonesia, from Bali, and we don't want them to enter Bali anymore," he said, speaking in English in a video clip.
Foreign arrivals in Bali have surged since the island reopened after COVID-19, and videos of misbehaving tourists often go viral, angering local residents and sparking harsh responses from social media users in Indonesia.
Data from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) shows that 2.9 million foreign visitors entered the island through Ngurah Rai International Airport in the first half of this year, accounting for 65 percent of Indonesia's total foreign arrivals by air for the period.
Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said earlier this month that the government wanted to avoid "a situation like Barcelona, where tourists became public enemies", Antara reported.
Luhut said the government would also tackle trash problems on the island, improve infrastructure and prevent further overdevelopment.
"We don't want to see paddy fields become a villa or become a nude club," he said. "For us, quality is more important than numbers."
Public nudity is illegal in Indonesia and there are no strip clubs in Bali, although there are nightclubs and discos that feature in-house dancers.
The government will soon announce a policy plan for reforming Bali's tourism, Luhut said.
