Former Indonesian President Criticizes State Of Bali Tourism Sector

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Bali’s tourism sector has been left reeling after comments issued by the former President and Leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

The fifth president of Indonesia has four main critiques of the state of tourism in Bali in light of recent events. 

Sukarnoputri is said to have described Bali’s tourism management as being in shambles. She noted how local communities must bear the consequences of this mismanagement.

Sukarnoputri touched on issues that tourists will already be familiar with and issues that are kept behind the scenes and out of the way of tourists’ gazes.

The water scarcity in East Bali and the water crisis for communities where huge construction projects are underway is an example used by Sukarnoputri. 

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A post shared by Megawati Soekarnoputri (@presidenmegawati)

Speaking at an event in North Jakarta on Sunday, 26th May, Sukarnoputri said that poor tourism management is causing negative impacts on the lives of local communities. She says that during her time as a volunteer at a rehabilitation center, she saw firsthand how the tourism sector had inadvertently created spaces where drug and alcohol abuse could creep in.

Sukarnoputri that she was angry with the now Ex-Governor Wayan Koster for allowing such an environment to be created on the island. With this in mind, she wants to see the conversation around tourism quotas limiting the number of tourists visiting the islands revisited. 

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A post shared by Megawati Soekarnoputri (@presidenmegawati)

Sukarnoputri’s next focus point was the ongoing water crisis in Bali. She told the audience, “Bali has recently started to suffer from a lack of water because the islands are like that; people always want [water] to be for tourism reasons. Tourism is fine, but [it should be] measured by how small the island is. That’s not it; let’s just hit it.”

She also shared her concerns that local Balinese communities in Balia are starting to find it even harder to enjoy the beauty and nature of their own island home.

Sukarnoputri said if things are allowed to continue, then “the people will feel sorry for not enjoying the tourists who come, foreign tourists; I said, let’s allocate a quota. So the island’s breath will not be pressured like that. This is all about tourism. I say, I’m not anti-tourism, you know, it’s measurable because tourism is also for the lives of our people, not upside down.”

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A post shared by Bali Tourism Board (@balitourismboardofficial)

An issue that has long been a gripe for Megawati Sukarnoputri is the topic of North Bali International Airport.

This, too, is a topic that has resurfaced in the last month or so as the incoming president, Prabowo Subianto, committed to bringing the project to life during a visit to Buleleng Regency during his presidential election campaign.

Sukarnoputri’s statements have been described as a ‘rampage’ as she directly addressed Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung about the project plans.

She said, “I said, you and Pram (Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung). Pram, really help; this is for the people of Bali. I said, don’t think about yourself.”

“The island of Bali only has a few residents, and the only people who want to come here are investors. I want my Balinese people to also become entrepreneurs and so on.”

Sukarnoputri’s fourth and final critique of the Bali tourism sector is focused on cultural dances and the sharing of Balinese culture with tourists.

Sukarnoputri is a passionate believer that cultural dances should not be performed at Bali hotels for tourists.

She feels that by removing the ritualistic elements of these cultural practices in order to appease tourists that the culture is damaged and the spirit of the practice lost. 

Many of Sukarnoputri’s comments have received backing from tourism stakeholders, fellow ministers, and government officials. Made Urip, the Chair of the PDIP DPP for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, described her statements as constructive.

Since Sukarnoputri’s influence has previously been strong over the Governor of Bali, it will remain to be seen which feedback and critiques will be acted upon when the new government is ushered in soon.