Creation Of Special Tourism Authority Could Save Bali From Overdevelopment

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A top tourism expert and economic advisor has spoken out about the need to radically change the way in which tourism in Bali is managed at an island wide, provincial level.

Viraguna Bagus Oka has spoken to reporters about his vision for a management system that would ensure spatial planning, business development, and social development are all supported in a sustainable way. 

In Oka’s view, the impacts of rapid and excess tourism development in Bali can be felt across the island.

He, along with many of his contemporaries, feels that it is time for a memorandum to be signed to completely overhaul how tourism development is managed on the island.

Oka has noted that Bali’s development issues can be felt most readily in the form of infrastructural problems, traffic congestion, oversupply of hotels and villa development plans, and population density. Oka is a clear supporter of the Special Bali Tourism Authority Model.

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The system would completely overhaul how spatial planning, business development, and immigration all work together to manage the tourism sector on the island.

The model is comprised of three main pillars,  focusing on managing the tourism sector through strategic cooperation and centralized management of Bali immigration, the air or sea entry authority, and the investment authority. 

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According to Oka, if these three authorities can be bought together and a new system implemented with credible regulations and strict enforcement, then the province would be able to secure an independent source of funding amounting to IDR 10-12 trillion every year.

This is double Bali’s annual APBD budget. These independent funds would be generated by the visa on arrival and private investment in Bali. Currently, funds generated by the visa on arrival are received by the Directorate General of Immigration and distributed by the central government. 

Tourism expert Made Sulasa Jaya, shares Oka’s sentiments and wants to see tourism legislation and stpaitla planning policies shift towards more regenerative models too.

He told reporters that existing tourism facilities must be rejuvenated before more permits are granted to construct new developments. 

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Jaya said “Don’t build any new buildings…hotel rooms are increasing even though we have never counted how many hotels rooms can no longer be used.”

He added, “The government must have the courage to take even the smallest action. Let’s stop and fix the regulations first. You must have the courage to be firm. Like the rubbish problem, we have always talked about rubbish, but there is no rubbish shredder, so it’s still a problem. This is a problem right in front of us. There is no need for further analysis.”

Jaya continued to explain that as much as legislative changes are needed that a wider mindset change is essential if over tourism and overdevelopment is to be avoided.

He explained, “Bali tourism should be developed with natural intelligence such as improving our character and the character of those who love Bali.”

Speaking separately, the Head of the Denpasar Investment and One Stop Integrated Services Service, Ida Bagus Benny Pidada Rurus, revealed that officials in Bali are unable to see the licensing data for the construction of hotel facilities in Bali due to the operating system.

To further complicate the situation, licenses are granted by different authorities based on the size of the facility in question.

Hotels with over 200 rooms will have their permits granted by the central government, hotels with 101-200 rooms must process their permits through the provincial government, and hotels with up to 100 rooms must process all licenses through the district and city governments. 

Oka, Jaya and Rurus are far form the first to have called for a complete overall of spatial planning and tourism management in Bali.

Their comments come as echos of statements made by the likes of Col Ace, the ex-Deputy Governor of Bali and Head of the Hotel and Restaurant Association for Bali, who too has called for an investigation into spatial planning on the island with view to updating legislation in favour of more sustainable development.