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Ban On All Mountain Activities In Bali Triggers Huge Concerns

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Following the announcement of a blanket ban on all activities on all of Bali’s twenty-two mountains, including iconic Mount Batur and Mount Agung, local communities and tourists are making their feelings known. 

Sunrise Over Mount Batur.jpg

Earlier this week, Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster announced that all activities on all of Bali’s mountains would be banned with immediate effect, ‘forever.’

This includes not only tourism activities for international visitors, but also domestic tourists and, most significantly, local people. 

This has triggered huge concerns for local communities and business owners whose lives and livelihoods are intimately connected to the mountains and volcanoes on the island. 

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Speaking to reporters, the Head of the Wangaya Gede Traditional Village, I Ketut Sucipto, explained his reasons for disagreeing with the new policy.

Situated close to the stunning Mount Batukaru, Wangaya Gede Traditional Village relies on income generated from tourism activities on the mountain. 

He said, “I agree to keep chaste. But disagree when people should be banned. We have been fighting in the village for two years to keep the mountains and temples pure. This is suddenly a ban.”

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Sucipto believes that an immediate ban is too extreme of a measure straight off the bat. He is calling on the government to consider implementing clearer and stricter regulations on activities on the mountain before enforcing the ban.

He fears that by prohibiting tourists and even locals from visiting the mountains in Bali, there will be an immediate negative impact on tourism. 

Sucipto said, “We ask the Governor, the Regional Police Chief, and the Regent to sit together first. Let them receive input from the lowest [level, from] those who know about the ins and outs of the existence of those mountains.”

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He concluded, notably, that “foreign tourists have never polluted heaven” in and around Mount Batukaru in Tabanan Regency.

Over in the communities surrounding Bali’s highest volcano, Mount Agung, trekking guides have been left blindsided by the announcement.

Trekking guide Komang Kayun urged the government to create solutions for the loss of income incurred by the ban. 

View-Of-Mount-Agung-From-Temple-in-Bali

Kayun said, “If climbing is not allowed, dozens of guides will automatically be unemployed. I have no other means of livelihood. If it is closed, the government and Governor must provide other solutions to guides. For example, the government should provide ten cows to be raised.”

Just as communities in rural areas are starting to find their flow again in a post-pandemic world, the ban could be utterly devastating. It is not just the guides who have lost their jobs overnight, but small locally run tourism businesses like guesthouses and cafes will also suffer as a result. 

Kayun continued “Don’t close [the mountains]. My family’s kitchen needs this. Imagine how many people will become victims if I become unemployed.”

Kayun, like Sucipto, agrees that changes to the way tourism on Bali’s most popular mountains are managed need to be made, but the simple tightening of regulations could garner more impactful and aligned results.

Tourists-Walk-Along-Quiet-Road-In-Bali-Towards-Mount-Batur

Prominent Balinese entrepreneur and social justice advocate Ni Luh Djelantik has also added her input to the calls to revoke the ban.

A translation of Djelantik’s reads, “My advice applies new rules regarding tariffs, guide standardization, cleanliness, courtesy standards, safety. Copy the rules applied in other areas. [It’s] not the activity of climbing that [should] be prohibited but the rules that must be enforced and [consequences for] violators must be strict.”

What does this all mean for tourists planning their visits to Bali? For now, it looks like the ban could stick.

Although it remains to be seen if the growing pressure that is being applied by local leaders and communities in Bali will be enough to encourage the provincial government to reconsider what can and cannot be done on the mountains. 

Rural-Village-In-Bali-By-Rice-Feild-and-Mount-Batur

The ban will unduly leave those thousands of prospective travelers to Bali brokenhearted. The sunrise hike of Mount Batur is consistently one of the most highly rated and in-demand travel experiences on the island. 

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Jp

Tuesday 13th of June 2023

This is the dumbest ban I've ever seen. No matter what there will be a few people acting up. Look into any other country with a huge amount of tourists they have just as many deportations as Bali if not more but they don't crack down on the rules like this. The government just needs to accept that there will be a few bad apples no matter what and shouldn't ruin it for everyone acting correctly. Banning the mountains is just hurting the Balinese more than hurting the tourists that are acting irrationally.

Firechef

Tuesday 13th of June 2023

Yet at the same time they are fixing the pathways, building rest stops and an information center on Batur. Go figure 🤔

Firechef

Wednesday 7th of June 2023

I think that the governor had too much arak and is insane. He needs to be replaced, NOW! Before he does even more harm to the people of Bali.

Exp

Monday 5th of June 2023

From local news today:

"After being met at the 16th Plenary Meeting at the Bali Provincial DPRD on Monday 5 June 2023, Koster said that he had even calculated the total income he had received while the mountain was a tourist attraction.

"How much income has been calculated, on Mount Agung the income in one year is less than IDR 100 million. On Mount Batur, the income for a year is almost IDR 1 billion, but it goes to the Ministry of Forestry as non-tax state income. For Mount Agung to the village and provincial authority," he explained.

Economically, Koster said that the income from Mountains was very small."

So there you have it. Straight from the horse's mouth.

Firechef

Wednesday 7th of June 2023

@Exp, You mean from his rear end? He doesn't know how much money is not reported by the Mafia, called money under the table. Cmon, you and I both know that cash money is seldom reported to the government, don't be naive.

Firechef

Monday 5th of June 2023

STRIKE 3 for the Gufnor, you're OUT No re-election.