Tourist-dependent Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors annually and the beach-dotted island is trying to capitalise on its popularity to boost its coffers and protect its tropical allure.
he local government in Bali will impose a Rp 150,000 ($10) tax on tourists entering the 'Island of Gods' from next year to preserve its culture, officials said Wednesday.
Tourist-dependent Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors annually and the beach-dotted island is trying to capitalise on its popularity to boost its coffers and protect its tropical allure.
"The payment of a fee for foreign tourists applies only one time during their visit to Bali," Governor I Wayan Koster told local lawmakers.
The fee will have to be paid electronically and will apply to foreign tourists entering Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, he said.
The levy will not apply to domestic tourists.
More than two million tourists visited the island last year, according to official figures, as Bali rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic after imposing a zero-tolerance policy on rule-breakers.
When asked if the new tax would deter visitors, Koster said authorities did not believe numbers would dip.
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