Bali Introduces New Policy To Ensure Popular Tourist Beaches Remain Public 

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Bali’s Governor, Wayan Koster, has confirmed that he will introduce a new policy to protect the island’s coastline and beaches from privatisation.

There are concerns from many leaders and communities in Bali that commercial interests are having too greater influence on the way in which areas of the coastline is managed.

In his first few weeks back in office as Bali Governor, Wayan Koster announced 15 new Priority Regional Regulations.

One of the most notable to tourists in Bali is a new policy that will prevent the privatisation of beaches, specifically in the Denpasar City and Badung Regency areas.

This would, therefore, include greater protections for beaches in Sanur, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, and Canggu. 

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Governor Koster made the new policy announcements during an event titled First Welcome Speech of the Governor of Bali for the 2025-2030 Period, which was held at the 9th Plenary Meeting of the Bali Provincial DPRD in Niti Mandala, which is the Governor’s Office in Denpasar.  

Governor Koster told reporters “This is done because nowadays the beach is increasingly difficult for the local community to use because the hotels and villas around it seem to have a beach, so the community is prohibited from using the existing beach.”

He confirmed that the policy is a form of guarantee for the coastal area to be utilised for the benefit of traditional, social, and economic ceremonies of the local communities. 

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Governor Koster cited recent controversies involving commercial activities and public access to the island’s beaches, including the firework saga with Finns Beach Club and the incident involving the installation of barrier buoys at Seranagn Beach, as well as a suspected renaming of a beach in the same area.

Koster shared “In Serangan, there was a guardrail in the sea that had been opened so that the fishermen could be active again. Because the tourism entrepreneurs there do not buy beaches, only the land is owned. So, do not control the beach for the sake of things beyond the authority.”

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Speaking after the meeting the Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, also gave his insight into how tourism businesses can gain the right to use public beaches as part of their enterprises.

He noted “There is in Nusa Dua, and in Kuta, there are people who were not allowed to enter the beach, we have finished it. We have emphasized that the beach belongs to the Balinese people, the property of the public, it is clear.”

It has long been the case that tourism businesses, or in fact any commercial enterprise, could not privatise any stretch of coastline in Bali.

However, over the years there have been a number of businesses who have published marketing materials that suggest that their customers or guests have private or exclusive access to stretches of Bali’s beaches. 

This new legislation helps clear up any grey areas and enables the Bali Provincial Government to better hold to account any businesses that are making claims that they have private access to areas of the coast and preventing public access.

Many hotels, resorts, beach clubs, restaurants, and bars across Bali have direct access to their respective stretch of beach; but none have legal exclusive use of these areas, however many have permits or permissions that enable them to conduct business activities in these locations.

At any time the public is able to use these same areas of the beach though the use of equipment such as beach chairs, umbrellas, cabanas are all under the jurisdiction of the businesses who have permission to operate their businesses along each section of beach. 

This new policy will help protect Bali’s coastline for both Balinese communities and tourists. This means that forevermore tourists will always have access to Bali’s best beaches at all times; though exceptions will be made in the event of closure for Balinese Hindu ceremonies, such as Melasti.