Bali Leaders Say New Tourism Tax Spending Must Be Audited For Transparency 

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It’s official: Bali’s new tourism tax is up and running.

The now mandatory tourism levy is part of a sustainable tourism initiative to ensure Balinese culture and heritage are preserved and generate funds to level up tourism infrastructure. 

The long-awaited tourism tax is now in place for all foreign tourists arriving in Bali.

The one-time fee can be paid online prior to arrival at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport or through hotels and travel agents who are registered as part of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Indonesia. 

The fee, which must be paid in Indonesian Rupiah, is set at IDR 150,000 – approximately USD 10. The fee must be paid on the card so that funds can be spent in a transparent way.

According to local leaders, the funds must be gathered, managed, and spent in such a way that is fully accountable and transparent, as well as bring real benefit to Bali tourists. 

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The Chairman of the Bali branch of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Indonesia, Putu Winastra, told reporters that the response from the tourism industry to the new policy has been positive.

Many are calling for an auditing process to be put in place now to ensure transparency from the get-go. 

Winastra said, “In essence, we agree with the levy because the aim is noble, to protect Bali’s culture and natural environment.”

He said that funds must be used in a way that is clearly visible to the public “So that foreign tourists really believe it. Of course, the funds will not be small.” 

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He noted that an independent auditing process is necessary to hold all shareholders to account. Winsatra said, “Don’t let foreign tourists feel cheated.”

On behalf of the Association of Hospitality Leaders in Indonesia, Sang Putu Eka Pertama told reporters that transparency is everything to tourists at this early stage of the new tax initiative.

Pertama explained, “The implementation must be transparent so that tourists can feel the benefits and be proud of the contribution that has been made.”

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Pertama went as far as today that all receipts and expenditures from foreign tourist levies should be reported on as regular basis as possible, at minimum annually. 

Tourism leaders from Bali’s up-and-coming tourism villages are hopeful that the huge boost of tax funding will be invested, at least in part, in their projects.

Bali’s tourism villages showcase the very best of Balinese culture and heritage to tourists.

Many are community-based tourism initiatives that not only help preserve and showcase culture but also provide economic opportunities for families and community members who have previously not benefited from the presence of tourism on the island.

Overall, most tourists seem not too fussed about contributing an extra USD 10 to the island in return for the vacation of a lifetime.

That being said, many long-term Bali lovers have also raised concerns that this new tax must bring real benefits to visitors to the island, such as waste management, road infrastructure, and public safety.  

The trial period of the tourism tax policy started on 7th February. Around 9,000 people paid the IDR 150,000 fee on a voluntary basis, with officials reporting that USD 100,000 has already been generated by the policy. 

Tourists planning their visits to Bali have a series of options available to them when it comes to paying the new tourism tax.

The national tourism board, Wonderful Indonesia, is encouraging as many tourists as possible to pay the fee prior to their arrival in Bali to help save time and speed up the arrival process.

However, many tourists are reporting that the Love Bali website and app are regularly displaying a server error. 

With this in mind, tourists who are traveling to Bali in the next week or so may be best advised to pay the fee at the airport or on arrival at their hotel.

Once paid, tourists will be sent a tourism tax voucher that they must keep easily accessible on their device should a tourism official ask to see it.