Wayan Koster is preparing to be inaugurated into his second term as Governor of Bali. The inauguration ceremony is set to take place in Jakarta on 20 February 2025, and the incoming provincial leader is already outlining his vision for the next five years, including his commitments to improving the province’s tourism sector.
Governor Wayan Koster wants to rebrand Bali’s tourism villages as cultural villages. This would see world-famous destinations like Penglipuran Village, Jatiluwih Village, and Taro Village undergo a rebrand to put culture front and center of all activities.
Koster told reporters “Now the nomenclature is ‘Tourism Village’, if this continues to be used, in the long run, the culture will be left behind. Yes, it is pragmatic.”
He continued “In fact, without culture, tourism would not exist, Bali’s main tourist attraction is culture, therefore, culture must be displayed first and built.”
Koster was clear that the rebrand will be more than a simple name change, he wants to see the province’s tourism villages put even more onus on promoting traditional Balinese culture, over promoting tourist attractions that would fall within the category of entertainment or wellness for example.
Governor Koster confirmed that though tourism villages will be known as cultural villages, they will remain a vital part of the tourism ecosystem in the province. He wants to see them become even more popular tourist destinations for both domestic and international tourists.
Koster explained “Because of this I will push for a change in the nomenclature of Tourist Villages to Cultural Villages. With the Cultural Village, the character of Bali is maintained, the identity of Bali is maintained, the culture of Bali will be more advanced and that is the attraction.”
He added “If it is well maintained and becomes an attraction, then automatically without being called a Tourist Village, it will become a village area visited by tourists as a tourist destination. I think so. So both can have their culture first advanced, the second can get tourism.”
Governor Koster concluded “We will regulate it in a governor regulation or regional regulation. There is none in the ministry. There is none. But it is a program that has no rules actually. Developed sporadically.”
Bali’s top tourism villages, soon to be known as culture villages, are some of the island’s most famous attractions on the global stage. Penglipruan Village, known as the world’s cleanest village, has been consistently named in the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s Best Villages in the World list over the last five years.
The succession of wins has catapulted the village onto the bucket lists of international travelers and has seen a huge rise in the number of domestic visitors who come to Bali to explore the community as a living museum.
In 2025 Jatiluwih Village is also being celebrated as one of the best tourism villages in the world UNWTO. Community leaders and the Jatilwuih Tourism Management Team spoke to reporters shortly after the announcement of the win to reaffirm the team’s commitment to upholding Balinese culture and protecting the landscape as well as the heritage agricultural methods that have preserved the ecosystem for generations on end.
Jatiluwih Tourism Manager Ketut Purna shared, “Astungkara, this is an amazing award. Thanks to the support of all the people, Jatiluwih Village received the award of one of the best villages in the world in 2024.”
He added “One of the concerns is the preservation of cultural heritage, preserving the environment, and the development of tourism with full responsibility.”
“Of course, this is not only because of us but also because of the people in Jatiluwih Village who are both committed and have put forward the Tri Hita Karana philosophy to receive this award.”
Tourists are highly encouraged to visit at least one of Bali’s tourist villages during their vacation to the island.
Tourists who are curious about the day-to-day life of local Balinese people will find Penglipuran Village most fascinating. Those who are more curious about nature and agriculture and want to see the world-famous rice terraces will be wise to organize a trip to Jatiluwuh.
For something in between, be sure to visit Taro Village, located just outside of Ubud and home to the famous sacred white cows of Bali.
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