Bali’s leading tourism officials have given their backing to a ban on the development of new accommodation, food, and beverage businesses in Bali’s busiest tourism resorts for the next two years.
A moratorium was due to be in effect by the end of October 2024, but finishing touches are still being added to the new policy.
The Chairman of Bali Tourism Board (BTB), Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, has spoken to reporters about the proposed two-year application for a moratorium on the development of accommodation, and food and beverage outlets in the Badung, Tabanan, Denpasar and Gianyar (Sarbagita) areas by the Ministry of Tourism.
Adnyana explained, “The licensing moratorium in South Bali is needed to overcome several challenges that arise due to rapid development, especially in the hotel and accommodation sector.”
He has also suggested that the policy should extend to the outlying island of Nusa Penida, in Klungkung Regency, since the island is too seeing rapid and seemingly uncontrolled tourism development.
He stated clearly, “We BTB are in the task force. Yes, the association is basically ready to support this moratorium rule. We understand that this step aims to maintain environmental balance, improve the quality of tourism, and encourage equitable development in Bali.”
He added, “With the moratorium, it is hoped that Bali tourism can develop more sustainably and provide long-term benefits to the community. Only 2 years, while we evaluate later.”
Those who first tabled the policy as an idea, including the likes of ex-Minister for Investment and Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, have stated that if the policy is effective, it could be kept in place for up to ten years.
Adyana shared his hopes that the policy will help redistribute tourism development in regions of Bali in need of more economic investment and support while also helping conserve the environment in the south of the island.
Overall, he was hopeful that the policy would be a positive step towards more high-quality, culturally respectful, and sustainable tourism in the long run.
For tourists, the implementation of a moratorium is both big news and nothing to give a second thought to.
The impacts of the moratorium won’t be widely felt in the first instance; in fact, new five-star hotels, accommodations, and other tourist entertainment facilities and food and beverage businesses that have already been given the go-ahead to start building and developing will still be allowed to bring their projects to completion.
These include the Regent Hotel Canggu Luxury on Jalan Batu Bolong, The Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, Vasa Hotel Canggu, The Apurva Kempinski Ubud, KARV Hotel Bali Jimbaran, the Mandarin Oriental Luxury in Uluwatu and more.
Tourists will still have plenty of new ventures to explore and more than sufficient modern, luxury accommodations to choose from.
What the ban is looking to achieve is to stop the rampant and seemingly out-of-control tourism development in areas such as Canggu, Uluwatu, Legian, Seminyak, Kuta Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, Sanur, and Ubud in the long term.
The negative impacts of overtourism and mass tourism are already being felt across the island, from traffic congestion to water scarcity to waste management and inflated costs.
There is hope that the development ban will serve to help improve tourist tourists’ experience of the island and give the province a little breathing room to restrategize long-term solutions to the questions of growth vs. cultural preservation and ecological conservation.
Most local leaders, political figures, and communities view the moratorium as a positive development.
The policy was due to be introduced in October but is believed to have been delayed by a few weeks due to the change in government.
The policy could also be delayed further, pending the results of the governorship election on 27th November.
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