Bali considers tourist tax to deter disruptive, bad behaviour

Summary:

• Bali is considering a tourist tax to improve the quality of tourists and prevent the island from being known as a cheap destination.

• The tax is aimed at deterring disruptive behaviour, which has become a growing problem due to overtourism.

• Some business groups have warned that the tax may damage the sector while it is still recovering from the pandemic.

Bali is discussing introducing a tourist tax to curb bad behaviour

Bali's government is considering imposing a tourist tax of between US$30 and US$100 in an effort to discourage disruptive behaviour among visitors to the Indonesian island.

The proposal, which is still under discussion, has been put forward by tourism minister Sandiaga Uno and supported by Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, chairman of the Bali Tourism Board.

Adnyana believes that income generated from the proposed tax would help fund measures to improve tourist behaviour and prevent Bali from becoming known solely as a cheap destination. "Cheap destinations bring in cheap tourists who tend to cause a lot of problems," he said.

The majority of visitors to Indonesia travel to Bali, which has been grappling with overtourism for years. Figures show that more than two million foreigners visited the island in 2022, down from 6.2 million in 2019.

Last month, Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister called for a tourist tax because Bali’s reputation as a low-cost destination had “encouraged many low-income foreign visitors” causing “a rise in unruly behaviour”.

However, some business groups have warned that such a tax could damage recovery efforts following the pandemic. According to Komang Artana, vice-chairman of the Indonesian Hotel General Manager Association in Bali: “We can’t control how much people spend when they come here...We should accept them all, as long as they know and obey the dos and don’ts.”

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/bali-tourist-tax-bad-behaviour-b2332252.html

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