Indonesian Government Urged To Do More To Safeguard Bali Tourists

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The Bali Provincial Government is being urged to take more action to protect tourists while they are visiting the island.

From tourist deaths due to falling trees at top attractions to a tourist getting seriously assaulted by a taxi driver on New Year’s Eve, Indonesian politicians are calling the province to account. 

The Deputy Chairperson of the Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Chusnunia Chalim, is calling on the government to step up and do more to protect tourists and the image of Bali tourism around the world.

Chalim is currently the Vice Governor of Lampung and has spoken to reporters about her concerns about recent incidents in Bali Province. 

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Chalim explained to reporters, “We hope that all tourism stakeholders truly prioritize safety and security aspects. This is not only the responsibility of one party, such as the government at all levels from ministries, provincial governments, to city governments, but also involves security forces and the community.”

She added, “Tourism is a complex sector that involves the interests of many parties.” She has called for more tourism police to be deployed across Bali to help keep tourists safe.

While there is a tourist civil service police unit in effect, they are not on patrol 24/7 and are limited in where they can operate patrols at any given time. They have mostly been tasked with making sure tourists have paid their Bali Tourism Tax Levy. 

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Chalim, who is often known by her nickname Nunik, told reporters, “Some countries already have tourism police. Well, this is not implemented consistently in Indonesia. If tourism police already exist in certain areas, their number and presence need to be increased, especially in areas with great tourism potential.”

She did praise Bali for efforts that are already in place, and it must be noted that crime against tourists and foreigners in Bali is markedly lower than in many of the world’s top travel destinations.

Chalim told reporters, “The security factor is very important, in addition to the 3A concept – access, amenities and attractions. The safety aspect of tourists must be of primary concern.”

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She concluded, “One of the main challenges is security, especially in tourist areas. Security needs to be given more attention, especially when we welcome guests from abroad or at special moments. Tighter protections must be implemented so that tourists feel safe and comfortable.”

Chalim’s comments come, in part, as a response to the news that a 33-year-old Chinese tourist was seriously sexually assaulted by a motorcycle taxi driver on New Year’s Eve. The woman, known by her initials YA, hailed a motorcycle taxi after a night out with her friends to celebrate the new year.

Traveling as a part of seven, four of YA’s friends were able to travel back to their rental villa in a taxi, while YA hailed the services of a motorcycle driver who was passing and dropping tourists off at the destination she was leaving from. 

Speaking to the media this week, the Head of Public Relations of the Bali Police, Senior Commissioner Pol. Jansen Avitus Panjaitan explained that he and his teams are working around the clock to locate the man in question.

He shared, “Based on the victim’s report and statement, the Jatanras Unit team pursued the perpetrator, who is suspected of being an online motorcycle taxi driver.”

Tourists traveling alone at night are especially encouraged to book motorcycle taxi services using online apps like Grab and GoJek and to set up all of the available safety and security features on the application, including sharing a live location with a trusted person. 

 As Bali sets a target to welcome 6.5 million international arrivals in 2025, in addition to millions of domestic tourists, it is clear that more needs to be done to level up safety and security for tourists across top resort destinations and across the island as a whole.