As Bali awaits hearing the final draft of new legislation that will ban the development of new hotels, resorts, and entertainment venues in the island’s most popular hotspots for upwards of two years, the province is consistently listed among the world’s top destinations most affected by overtourism.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation defines tourism as “the impact of tourism on a destination, or parts thereof, that excessively influences the perceived quality of life of citizens and/or quality of visitor experiences in a negative way.”
For the last year, the question of whether Bali has tipped over into a broad spectrum of tourism has been up for debate by political leaders, business developers, and local residents.
While there is no single definitive metric by which to asses over tourism, many have been in agreement that localized tourism is being experienced in the island’s most popular resorts.
Major international travel observers such as CNN Travel, The Independent, and Fodor’s Travel have all noted Bali’s struggles with mass tourism as reasons to reconsider a visit.
While the assessment regarding the impact of mass tourism is accurate, it’s hardly a reason for tourists to boycott the province entirely.
As leaders have confirmed, Bali is experiencing localized tourism. The island still presents tourists and travelers with incredible opportunities to connect authentically to culture and place both on and off the beaten path. They are working to implement solutions.
Fodor’s Travel noted nine regions to reconsider visiting in 2024 and included the likes of Venice in Italy, Athens in Greece, and Mount Fuji in Japan as destinations to avoid.
The issues these regions are facing are very similar to those faced in Bali on a daily basis, including waste management, environmental damage, overcrowding, and inflation.
What is clear is that moving forward, a balance must be found between quality and quantity in Bali’s tourism sector to ensure that tourists have a positive experience in the province and that local residents benefit from the industry’s presence.
Lecturer of the Faculty of Law at Mulawarman University, Kadek Sudiarsana, published an op-ed on the condition of Bali’s tourism sector in the Bali Tribune this week.
Sudiarsana explained that the ‘quality’ of tourists welcomed must be elevated, as must the level of tourism infrastructure.
He noted, “A selective policy should be applied towards tourists who visit Indonesia or Bali, both in terms of economic ability with standard rules for minimum savings balance, for example, tracing the background, or ensuring the guarantee of the tourist.”
He also called for the government and residents in Bali to work together to tackle the rise in the number of unruly foreigners on the island.
Sudiarsana wrote, “It’s time for Bali to be unrelenting and improve on the rampant phenomenon of “naughty” actions of tourists in Bali.”
“It is important for the Balinese people not to easily give up their land rights or switch to productive land for the sole benefit of tourism; on the contrary, the presence of tourism is expected to be an added value side income without having to sell land.”
Sudiarsana called for the government to do even more to help find balance within the tourism sector by tightening visa policies.
This will have a twofold impact: it will reduce the number of tourists visiting overall and help reduce the risk of ‘low quality’ tourists, who many feel have a greater potential to break the law.
He concluded that it is time for the Indonesian government, through related ministries, in this case, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, to collaborate with local governments and authorized institutions to tighten or strictly foreign-screen tourist policies in Indonesia, especially in Bali.
On the other hand, strict legal action must be taken against the cases of tourists who have violated the rules so as not to create a bad precedent for the tourism image itself.”
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