There has been increasing worry in the well-known tourist location regarding the burden that tourists place on the ecology, infrastructure, and culture of the area.
Amid concerns about the overdevelopment of one of its most popular tourist attractions, Bali, Indonesia will halt the construction of new hotels in some sections of the island.
After the Covid outbreak, Bali’s tourism industry recovered, but worries about the toll that tourists are taking on the region’s infrastructure, ecology, and culture are becoming more and more pressing.
A senior official at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs named Hermin Esti told Reuters that the government had decided to halt building new nightclubs, hotels, and villas.
It’s unknown how long the moratorium will last. According to news website Detik, senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan stated that it might be in place for as long as ten years. Bali had 541 hotels last year, up from 507 there had been in 2019.
According to Indonesia’s statistics department, 2.9 million foreign visitors entered Bali through Bali airport in the first half of this year, representing a significant increase in foreign arrivals following the easing of pandemic restrictions. But there have also been drawbacks to this, such as more traffic, building, and resentment towards inconsiderate visitors. Digital nomads, who frequently stay longer, have grown to love the island in particular.
Locals and Indonesians are angry about foreigners standing naked at sacred sites, stripping off and gatecrashing a temple dance performance, and flashing on a motorbike for social media.
According to Luhut, Bali is home to roughly 200,000 foreigners, which has raised concerns about crime and increased competition for jobs, according to officials.
In an effort to achieve a balance between the economy and the surrounding environment and culture, the government is auditing the island’s tourism industry.
To support the preservation of Bali’s culture, a tourism tax of 150,000 rupiah ($9) was instituted for foreign visitors in February. In order to relieve the island’s severely packed highways, the authorities plan to construct a rail link that will connect the airport to well-known tourist spots.
Sandiaga Uno, the minister of tourism, issued a warning last month about South Bali’s impending overtourism.
“A 10% increase might put us beyond that threshold. He stated in remarks cited by the Turkish news agency Antara, “We have to steer clear of a situation similar to Barcelona, when tourists turned into public adversaries.
