Bali Tourists Encouraged To Visit New Destinations On The Island

Share The Article

For decades in Bali, there have been calls for tourism to be spread more evenly throughout the island.

Tourism businesses and some residents feel that a more even distribution of tourism would bring huge benefits to both tourists and the economy.

The conversation has resurfaced once again as the Klungkung Regency Tourism Village Communication Forum (Forum Dewi), is calling on tourism villages across the region to collaborate.

The Chairman of Forum Dewi says he wants to see the government increase its attention to Bali’s tourism villages. 

Bali’s tourist villages are some of the most popular tourist attractions on the island.

Penglipuran Tourism Village in Bangli Regency, for example, welcomes thousands of visitors every day and has been recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as one of the best in the world. 

@edigobali Suasana Desa Penglipuran di Hari Raya Galungan #desapenglipuran #bali #galunganbali ♬ suara asli – Yanfhoto Instan – Yanphoto

Now, Forum Dewi in Klungkung Regency wants to see the same level of support shown for the attractions in the area.

Klungkung Regency is best known for famous destinations like Nusa Penida, yet there is so much more to explore. 

The Chairman of Forum Dewi, I Wayan Malendra, told reporters that more support is needed to grow emerging tourism villages into fully-fledged attractions.

He said, “As a [stakeholder] and driver of village tourism support from the government, district, and province needs to be continued and increased; so that the distribution of tourists is more even.”

@tj_wonderfullandscape This is a paradise island 🏝️🏞️#diamondbeach #nusapenida #bali #indonesia #scenery #beautiful #amazing #view #foryou ♬ Icarus – Position Music

Malendra’s comments come as tourism managers in Penglipuran Village, Bali’s most popular tourism village, recently announced that the community was at risk of experiencing over-tourism and is starting to preemptively mitigate those risks. 

I Made Mendra Astawa also from Forum Dewi told reporters “We still hope for support so that tourist villages s can further develop and advance Bali’s tourism potential.”

He noted that there are currently 238 tourism villages and community tourism ventures in Bali.

@401k_la ✨𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕪 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖?✨ I hope it’s all the things you’ve ever dreamed of… Because You Deserve That 🚀 . . . Otherwise known as Rumah Pohon Molenteng, for the village where it’s located and the Indonesian translation for “treehouse”, this is the insta-famous treehouse located on Nusa Penida island off the coast of Bali. Here’s a few key 🔑 things to know about this popular tourist spot: 🎋It takes about 1 hour to drive to this viewpoint from the main dock. We were on a guided tour, so we took a small SUV with our tour guide; scooter rentals are popular but it’s a 🤪 wacky ride. 🎋Once you arrive, it’s about a 10 minute walk to the treehouse BUT it is a steep trek down the side of the cliff. Although a little challenging, it’s totally safe and there is a guard rail (more of a chord) to hold on to for extra stability. 🎋 In addition to the 5,000 IDR park entrance fee (approx $0.35 USD), there is also a FEE of 75,000 IDR to take a picture at the treehouse (approx $5 USD) 🎋Thousand Islands view point is just steps away and within the same park, so it’s worth it visit as well. It’s spectacular views galore! 🎋 Oh yeah! Remember that trek down? Well getting back up is even more challenging, so add about 5 more minutes to that 10 for rest breaks to catch your breath. It wasn’t easy 😅 but totally doable and worth it Hope this helps! 💫Like & Save then Follow for more travel tips and travel deals! #bali#nusapenida#treehouse#travelagent#experienceseekers#bucketlisttravel#tourism#mytravels#prayyoucatchme#realreel#travelguide ♬ son original – Beyoncé (FP)

He added “The hope is that tourist villages will continue to develop and progress, so that they will have an impact on the community’s economy.”

They both say that tourism villages in Bali need more support with infrastructural and human resources. Many of the tourism villages have great ideas and are sitting on heaps of potential, yet need support and guidance on how to bring those ideas to fruition at scale. 

One of the main difficulties tourism villages in Bali face is marketing. Tourists are increasingly interested in visiting villages in order to learn more about rural life, and traditional livelihoods, and experience first hadn’t the slower pace of life that many feel is hard to find in bustling cities back home. 

With so many tourism villages dotted around the island, and so few with a strong online presence, or relationships with bigger travel agencies, many tourists only stumble upon these gorgeous destinations by chance.

If tourists are to be encouraged to visit new destinations on the island, that at present appear to be off the beaten track, many would agree with Astawa and Malendra that more information needs to be available to tourists as they are planning their vacations. 

Many Bali lovers echo Astawa and Malendra’s feelings that tourism in Bali needs to be more evenly distributed; while others would say that keeping tourism concentrated in the south means that tourism infrastructure can help conserve the island in its more traditional form.

The highest concentration of tourism can be found in Badung Regency. The area is home to the island’s biggest and most in-demand resorts like Canggu, Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Legian, and Kuta.

Other regencies are home to one or two key resort towns, villages, or attractions, but Badung Regency eclipses all others. 

Klungkung Regency is receiving heaps of attention and investment in tourism right now, at a large and small scale. Astawa and Malendra’s calls for support may be answered sooner than they think. 

Klungkung Regency is home to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan, all three of which are soaring in popularity right now.

The Regent of Klungkung, I Nyoman Suwirta has spoken out serval times this year to share his commitment to levelling up tourism across the regency, especially on the islands. 

Earlier this month the Semarapura Thematic Market opened its doors to the public. The impressive new art market is set to attract even more tourists to Klungkung Regency.

The building houses over 110 m of traditional Balinese Kasman-style paintings and is of huge interest to tourists seeking to learn more about Balinese culture, history, and way of life.