Bali Governor Assures Tourists Sex Ban Will Not Be Enforced
Bali may not enforce a sex ban, but best be discreet about it
Key Points:
1. Bali visitors will not be criminalised under new Indonesian laws that outlaw sex outside marriage, according to the island governor.
2. Tourists' marital status will not be checked upon check-in at any tourism accommodation.
3. The new laws come into effect in three years.
Tourists will not be affected by ban says Governor
Bali Governor Wayan Koster has reassured tourists that they will not be affected by Indonesia's new laws that prohibit sex outside marriage and cohabitation between unmarried couples.
The laws come into effect in three years, but a person could only be prosecuted if there was a complaint by a parent, spouse or child. Mr Wayan said Bali's government would ensure "there will be no checking on marital status upon check-in at any tourism accommodation".
He also rejected reports of flights and hotel room bookings being cancelled, saying data from travel agents, tour and accommodation operators, and airlines showed the number of expected visitors had increased from December 2022 to March 2023.
Bali: Can couples stay together?
Yes! Bali’s Governor has assured tourists that they can stay together if they are unmarried. The proposed new law will not apply to tourists if and when it is introduced. This will no doubt include LGBTIQ+ couples.
As Indonesia tries to entice tourists back after the drop in travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic, its national tourism board has described the new criminal code as "totally counterproductive". Bali is targeting foreign arrivals on the predominantly Hindu island to reach pre-pandemic levels of six million a year by 2025.
Legislators hailed the passage of the criminal code as a much-needed overhaul of a vestige of Dutch colonial rule that aimed to uphold "Indonesian values" in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.
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