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Tourism associations raise concerns over Bali’s overtourism, waste problems

Overtourism and overdevelopment have become serious issues in the southern part of the province, leading to environmental issues such as flooding and mounting waste.

Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post)
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Bali
Fri, January 17, 2025

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Tourism associations raise concerns over Bali’s overtourism, waste problems A man stands amid plastic waste and other garbage washed ashore at a beach in Kedonganan, Badung regency, in Bali on Jan. 3, 2025. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)

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everal tourism associations in Bali have raised concerns over a plethora of problems that have been haunting the popular resort island in recent years, which range from frequent flooding and waste problems to overtourism.

Head of the Bali office of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati said the most pressing issue was overcrowding in the southern part of the island.

"Uneven tourism development, with a heavy concentration in the southern part of Bali, highlights a deeper systemic issue that requires collective effort to resolve," he said in a recent interview.

Foreign arrivals in Bali have surged since the island reopened after COVID-19. Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) show that 5.2 million foreign visitors arrived on the island from January to October last year, accounting for 45 percent of Indonesia's total foreign arrivals for the same period. 

Overtourism and overdevelopment have become serious issues in the southern part of the province, leading to environmental issues such as flooding and mounting waste.

Last month, authorities were forced to evacuate trapped tourists using inflatable rescue boats after torrential downpours triggered floods that inundated roads, residential areas, hotels and villas in popular vacation spots in Kuta and Badung regency.

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The affected areas are located near the Mati River, which has seen recurring floods for the past several years. Once known for its rice fields, the region has since been transformed into a developed area that is home to a housing complex, as well as numerous hotels and villas.

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