Travel is becoming an increasingly tech-dependent affair. Gone are the days of leaving notes on hostel pinboards for travel buddies to find you at your next stop; in 2025, organising travel can be completed in a few quick clicks of a smartphone screen.
Indonesia is working to ensure that the tourism sector, especially in destinations like Bali, keeps up with the times.
Bali now has its very own domain name. The new .bali domain has been celebrated by provincial leaders as an opportunity to safeguard and promote the island’s culture in the digital realm. The development comes as Bali looks to further its position as a world-leading tourism destination.
The Chairman of Pengelola Nama Domain Internet Indonesia (PANDI), John Simanjuntak, told reporters that this domain is not just a website address but also a symbol of identity that makes it easier for people and businesses to align with local values, while also attracting international attention.
Simanjuntak explained, “With .Bali, the Island of the Gods, has an official platform to showcase local culture, tourism, and innovation, accessible to the wider public and investors from around the world.”
He confirmed that the initiative is a collaboration between the Bali Provincial Government and PANDI. This collaboration includes domain management, technical governance, and operational preparation to ensure that .bali sites run smoothly. He explained that this agreement is one of a long series of explorations between the Bali government and PANDI.
Existing projects are helping to preserve and promote Balinese culture in the digital world. PANDI also initiated a collaboration with Udayana University on a technical study related to the Second-Level Domain Label Generation Rules for Balinese Script, which resulted in the creation of a Balinese script domain – ᬩᬮᬶ.id.
Simanjuntak told reporters, “This signing marks an important step for Bali in strengthening its digital identity on the national and international stage, while also opening a new era for the use of internet technology that is more sovereign, secure, and characteristic in accordance with Bali’s identity.”
He added, “The signing of this joint agreement also lays an important foundation for developing Bali’s digital identity through the .bali domain. This initiative is envisioned as an effort to create a more structured, secure digital space that represents Bali’s character within the global internet ecosystem.”
Simanjuntak concluded, “The presence of .bali is expected to be a significant milestone in Bali’s vital transformation, ensuring that technology utilization not only keeps pace with current trends but also aligns with the direction of sustainable and integrated regional development.”
The news comes in the same week as the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism launched its new AI platform that is set to help the country’s millions of annual travelers organise their experiences. The new platform, named Meticulous Artificial Intelligence of Indonesia, will be known as MaiA and is accessible via the Official Indonesia Tourism website.
Speaking at the launch of the new technology, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, shared, “Let’s welcome MaiA together as a step forward towards a more adaptive, competitive, and world-class future for Indonesian tourism.”
She added, “The launch of MaiA is the actual implementation of the government’s commitment to establishing a smart, inclusive, and sustainable tourism ecosystem.” Noting “this is our step toward shaping tourism that is not only beautiful to behold, but also intelligent and inclusive for all.”
MaiA, powered by Google’s Gemini, acts as a chatbot-style travel assistant and can answer questions about travel in Indonesia and make itinerary suggestions for destinations nationwide, including Bali. The service is available in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese, and Thai.
As Indonesia works to become a global leader in both the tech and travel space, tourists planning trips to Bali can expect to see more promotion of tech-aided services such as MaiA.
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WAYAN BO
Tuesday 9th of December 2025
It seems not to be available in the iOS App Store yet. Only some Panda games are available 🤣
My balls
Monday 8th of December 2025
And people ask where the few hundred million dollars of tourist scam tax revenue went. Well, boom. A domain.
Exp
Monday 8th of December 2025
If the rip-off and scam sites are allowed to use the .bali domain there is zero value to foreigners. Actually it will be worse as this will give the scammers some sort of "official aura".