TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsThe global problem of over tourism, and why Bali is at a tipping point
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
F
rom the canals of Venice to the temples of Kyoto, over tourism is choking some of the world’s most beloved destinations. Crowded streets, environmental damage and frustrated locals are now common symptoms of a tourist sector growing beyond its limits.
In ASEAN, where countries thrive on tourism dollars, the problem is particularly acute. Thailand’s Maya Bay was temporarily closed to recover from ecological damage, while Boracay in the Philippines underwent a six-month shutdown for rehabilitation. But nowhere is the struggle more visible than in Bali, a tropical paradise now buckling under the weight of its own popularity.
Bali’s idyllic beaches, lush jungles and vibrant culture have long made it a bucket-list destination. But with over 6 million tourists annually (pre-pandemic), the island is reaching a breaking point. Key factors driving over tourism include cheap flights and easy visas, budget airlines and visa-free entry bringing in millions. Social media frenzy with Instagram hotspots like Kuta, Ubud and Nusa Penida attracting crowds as well as poor infrastructure, narrow roads, water shortages and waste management struggles and overdependence on tourism mean more than 50 percent of Bali’s economy relies on visitors.
If over tourism continues unchecked, Bali risks environmental collapse with plastic-choked beaches, drained water supplies and dying coral reefs; displaced locals as a result of rising rents and overcrowding pushing Balinese out of their own neighborhoods; cultural erosion with sacred sites turned into overcrowded photo ops and traffic chaos resulting in hours-long jams in Canggu and Seminyak. Already, movements like Bali is Not for Tourists, Bali is for Balinese signal growing frustration. Without change, the island's charm, and liveability, could vanish.
To combat over tourism while preserving Bali's economy and culture, sustainable tourism models must be adopted. Sustainable development refers to development that ensures continuous improvement in the economic well-being of society, sustainable social life, environmental quality and the overall quality of life for generations to come. This concept can be implemented in various fields, one of which is tourism. The concept of sustainable tourism development emerged as a response to the negative impacts of tourism activities, especially during the growth and expansion of mass tourism in various destinations worldwide. At the time, mass tourism was heavily associated with poor planning, uncontrolled expansion (sporadic development) and an excessive focus on economic growth or materialistic benefits, often leading to the degradation of both natural resources and socio-cultural assets.
These negative impacts could threaten the long-term sustainability of the local economy. Consequently, the concept of sustainable tourism development was introduced to minimize these adverse effects in the long run. Efforts to manage tourism should incorporate the principles of sustainable development so that tourism resources remain valuable across generations, ensuring a balance among economic benefits, environmental preservation and socio-cultural values.
Bali, a small island lacking natural resources, is a prime candidate for sustainable tourism. Through this approach, Bali's nature, people, culture and agriculture, the island’s unique identity, can be safeguarded from damage and degradation across generations. However, sustainable tourism can still generate significant economic benefits such as tourism activities that ensure the long-term viability and competitiveness of Bali’s tourism destinations; community prosperity through leveraging the economic benefits of tourism for the Bali community, including various types of visitor expenditures at Bali’s top tourism destinations; employment quantity and quality by creating more job opportunities and improving working conditions in Bali’s leading tourism destinations, such as higher wages, better work environments and increased employment opportunities and social equity by ensuring fair and equitable distribution of social and economic benefits across all tourism destinations in Bali.
The development of sustainable tourism in Bali must consider balance, between the present and the future, and between economic, environmental and socio-cultural aspects. This concept translates into different types of sustainable tourism activities. These include responsible tourism by ensuring tourism activities make destinations better places for visitors and locals alike. Stakeholders such as hotels, governments, local communities and tourists must take responsibility for sustainable tourism practices, for instance, visiting Pura Agung Besakih. Nature tourism can be conducted in natural environments to conserve them and enhance community well-being, for example, the Tirta Empul purification site and guided jungle treks in Munduk that fund reforestation efforts.
Fair tourism can encompass community-driven tourism development where economic activities and accessibility are equitably distributed, for instance, visiting Tenganan Pagringsingan village. Accessible tourism ensures tourism destinations, services and products are easily accessible to all tourists, such as in Trunyan Batur village. Appropriate is safe for communities and tourists, ensuring activities align with cultural needs, for example, Lembongan Island. Ecotourism is aimed at environmental conservation, for instance, Jatiluwih terraced rice fields. Green tourism involves environmentally friendly tourism activities, for example, West Bali National Park. Agritourism connects tourists with Bali’s farming heritage while supporting rural economies, for example coffee plantation tours in Kintamani that fund sustainable agriculture.
While over tourism affects everyone, informal workers, street vendors, drivers, masseuses and small-scale artisans, are the most vulnerable. Many depend on daily tourist spending to survive. If visitor numbers are restricted without alternatives, these workers could face severe hardship. To ensure that tourism reforms do not leave Bali’s informal economy behind, we must formalize and upskill informal workers through vocational training programs to help street vendors, drivers and artisans transition to sustainable tourism roles (e.g., eco-tour guides, cultural ambassadors), as well as digital literacy initiatives to help small businesses market online and reduce reliance on foot traffic.
We must also create fair tourism cooperatives by supporting local collectives where drivers, masseuses and craftsmen can pool resources and access tourist markets fairly, while prioritizing local hiring in hotels and resorts to absorb displaced informal workers. It is essential to diversify income sources beyond tourism by promoting agritourism and handicraft exports to reduce reliance on mass tourism, with government grants for small businesses to shift to sustainable trades (e.g., organic farming, recycled crafts). We must also implement visitor redistribution strategies by encouraging tourists to explore lesser-known villages, spreading economic benefits, as well as subsidized transportation links to connect rural artisans and vendors with tourist hubs.
The path forward requires enforcing sustainable policies while safeguarding local livelihoods. Cap visitor numbers at overcrowded sites and invest fees into community projects, redirect tourists to under-visited regions like east and north Bali. Support eco-certified businesses that hire locally and operate sustainably and educate travelers on low-impact practices through awareness campaigns.
Bali stands at a crossroads, do we continue down the path of mass tourism and risk losing its soul, or adopt sustainable practices to preserve its magic for generations? As travelers, we have a responsibility. Visit mindfully, respect local culture and support small vendors and eco-friendly businesses. Together, we can ensure Bali remains a paradise, not just for tourists, but for the people who call it home. Will you be part of the solution?
I Gde Suranaya Pandit, completed his Bachelor of Fish Processing Technology at Riau University Pekanbaru in 1985, masters in food science and technology at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta in 1994 and doctorate in health science at Udayana University Bali in 2007. Currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology, and also serves as the Rector of Warmadewa University in Denpasar, Bali.
