Bali Tourists Encouraged To Explore Local Arts, Crafts And Produce On Vacation

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Bali is an island with a rich heritage of art, culture, and culinary produce. From traditional pairings to wooden carvings, through to coffee, salt, and spices, for tourists looking to take a little piece of the island home with them to remember their vacation, the options are endless. 

Here at The Bali Sun, we can’t get enough of Balinese art and culture. We’d say we know more than most, but we will still each be spending our lives deepening our knowledge of this truly inspiring province and absorbing all the wisdom it has to share with us.

For tourists, we know the feeling is similar. Get a taste for the wonders of the island and the stories that lie beneath the surface, and it is infectious…you can’t help but want to learn more. 

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Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster has long been vocal about his intentions to conserve, preserve, and uplift Balinese culture in all ways. This month, for example, is Balinese language month. Tourists traveling on the island will see wider use of the Balinese traditional script and may even be invited to special events to showcase the language to new audiences. 

Governor Koster has issued updates to the tourism sector, calling on local governments, hotels, restaurants, and tour operators to prioritise the use of Balinese-made products throughout their business operations. This, he hopes, will help reduce the potential of regional inflation, support a wider range of businesses on the island, and help encourage tourists to support more local businesses too. 

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Speaking in Denpasar this week, Governor Koster explained, “We must continue to encourage hotels and all of us have to be more proactive in using local Balinese products.” He reiterated that, since 60% of Bali’s economy is driven by the tourism sector, focusing on normalising the use of Balinese products across the sector is an effective way to help keep the economy growing.

Governor Koster used the example of Balinese arak, a traditional palm-based liquor, to illustrate how it could be used more widely across the hospitality sector. As well as Bali-grown produce and the use of Balinese fabrics, like the endek woven cloth.

Despite an abundance of produce, many businesses in the tourism sector continue to import fresh produce and other goods. 

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He shared, “Why are we promoting the use of Balinese local products? To stimulate the economy and increase Bali’s economic capacity, impacting income and well-being in Bali.”

He added, “If hotels use imported products, we’ll lose out by granting permits. Using important products doesn’t improve the welfare of the local Balinese community. It’s pointless, and it shouldn’t be allowed.”

Bali is Indonesia’s fifth-fastest-growing provincial economy, with a 5.82% increase in 2025. The top four provinces are economies driven by mining. With Bali set to welcome more than 7 million international tourists in 2026, and millions more domestic tourists too, the island is in an ideal position to promote its artistic, cultural, and culinary products to new audiences. 

Tourists can engage with and invest in Balinese produce during their vacation and on their departure. Visiting restaurants and cafes that support and promote Balinese food is easy and an essential element of any vacation in Bali.

For this, here at The Bali Sun, we love Made’s Warung in Ubud. Not only is this iconic restaurant still serving up the most authentic Balinese dishes around, but it is also home to an arts, antiques, and crafts shop filled to the brim with some of the most beautiful pieces you’ll find anywhere on the island. 

Tourists traveling to Bali who are already thinking about what authentic souvenirs to seek out during their trip have plenty of options to choose from, and plenty of markets and cultural centres from which to buy them.

Ubud Art Market is perhaps the most famous of all, Kuta’s Art Market has always been a popular choice, and in both Uluwatu and Canggu, tourists can find an abundance of boutiques that sell Balinese-inspired home decor and clothing, too. 

For those seeking some culinary treats to stock the cupboards back home, then salt, spices, and coffee are a great option.

Although tourists must double-check what fresh and preserved produce they are permitted to take home with their local customs authority.