Bali Tourists Will Be Asked To Show Tax Voucher At Top Attractions

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Bali’s tourism tax has been in effect for nearly two weeks.

Although the pilot phase is over, officials are making a few changes here and there to ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible for tourists.

The new tourism tax is a sustainable tourism initiative put in place by the provincial government of Bali.

It requires tourists to pay IDR 150,000 as a contribution towards the protection of the natural landscape, conspire heritage, and improve tourism infrastructure.

Tourists had been encouraged to pay online before arriving in Bali via the Love Bali app and website, though due to recurring technical issues, tourists are now advised to pay on arrival at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

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Once paid, tourists will be issued a payment voucher, a kind of proof of payment, that they may be asked to show to tourism officials across the island.

It has now been confirmed that tourists will be asked to show their payment vouchers at top attractions to ensure that everyone has paid the fee. 

The Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, communicated the updates to all key stakeholders during a meeting on Monday 26th February.

He confirmed that the checking levy vouchers will be carried out once the tourist levy program has been running for three months.

Pemayun said “Checks at DTW (government-managed tourism attractions) will be carried out regularly starting in May 2024, at least once a week, simultaneously in several DTW.”

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Pemayun explained, “We will carry out regular monitoring, as a form of enforcing existing regulations, to check whether tourists have paid or not.”

Adding, “For those who have paid, they will be allowed to enjoy their tour comfortably, and for those who haven’t, they will be directed to make payment at the location.”

Pemayun appealed to all foreign tourists who come to Bali to make payments early from their home countries through the existing system of Love Bali so that their trips are not disrupted by payment of fees in Bali.

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However, last week, Head of Marketing at the Bali Tourism Office, Ida Ayu Yustikarini issued slightly different advice.

She noted that due to the Love Bali platform experiencing a heap of technical issues, tourists might be best to simply pay on arrival at the airport.

Tourists planning their trips to Bali in the coming weeks should try the Love Bali website a couple of times, but if it is unresponsive, don’t worry too much; simply pay on arrival. 

Pemayun said that officers would stop tourists from the new Tourism Satpol PP Police Unit. This newly established tourism police unit can already be seen on patrol.

They are dressed in a more casual police uniform and accompanied by their Kintamani puppies.

Tourists should not be worried if they are approached by a Tourism Police Officer; they have been tasked with chatting with tourists and making sure everyone is safe and happy on vacation. 

Pemayun also explained that “Tour guides are also expected to be able to provide clear information regarding these fees to guided tourists and facilitate tourists in making payment of fees.”

During the meeting, the Chair of ASITA (Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies) Bali, Putu Winastra, also approved checking levy vouchers for foreign tourists.

However, he made the wise suggestion that during the next three months, internal improvements must be made to the tourism tax process before carrying out checks, such as improving the payment system, increasing outreach, increasing information regarding tourist fees at Ngurah Rai Airport, and preparing adequate resources for both tourists and officials to check the payments that have been made.