Most allegedly enter Indonesia on a tourist visa and then offer their services to Russian tourists.
he Bali administration has vowed to raid illegal Russian tour guides operating on the island, saying that real action was urgent to prevent them from “damaging Bali’s tourism image”.
“If we let them, they could damage the image of Bali. How could they give details and correct explanations about Balinese culture? They may only tell false stories about Bali to their guests,” Bali Tourism Agency acting head Putu Astawa told The Jakarta Post recently.
The vow came following a report from the Indonesian Tour Guide Association (HPI) Bali, which said many Russian nationals worked illegally as tour guides in Bali. Most allegedly enter Indonesia on a tourist visa and then offer their services to Russian tourists.
Astawa said all tour guides operating in Bali should have a legal license. Bali provincial Bylaw No. 5/2016 on tour guides regulates that only Indonesians who have a license can work as a tour guide on the island.
“Those who violate the bylaw could face a maximum of three months in prison or pay a Rp 50 million [US$3,590] fine,” he said.
Beside violating the regulation, illegal tour guides may also harm the business of legal tour guides in Bali.
“They take the job opportunities that should have gone to Indonesians,” he said.
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