New Beach Club Development In Bali Tourism Resort Refused By Mayor 

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The Mayor of Denpasar has spoken out about his objections to the development of big beach clubs in Sanur’s resort.

While Sanur has undergone a huge transformation in the last five years and will soon welcome the opening of the new Bali International Hospital, the Mayor wants to ensure the ‘DNA’ of the coastal retreat is preserved for all to enjoy. 

Speaking to the press, the Deputy Mayor of Denpasar, Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa, said that Mayor IGN Nyoman Negara is rejecting moves to establish a huge beach club in the resort area.

Sanur is Denpasar City’s premier tourism resort and is known for its laid-back coastal charms. The resort has long been popular with young families, retirees, and couples seeking a quiet beachside retreat in South Bali. 

Deputy Major Wibawa confirmed that the Mayor’s Office is investigating listing applications for a proposed beach club in the Sanur resort area. The Mayor’s Office wants to lodge a rejection of the application to ensure that the project cannot go ahead by way of preserving Sanur as a relaxed, quiet coastal vacation destination. 

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Wibawa explained, “In principle, Mr. Mayor has given directions to immediately negate the beach club in Sanur because it changes the DNA of the tourism characteristics in the Sanur area.”

The issue the Mayor’s Office is facing is that the suspected licensing application will have been submitted through the centralized Online Single Submission system (OSS), which is not under the jurisdiction of the Mayor’s Office nor the Denpasar City Regency Office authority. 

He added, “[He] has realized the consequences [of the beach club] will change the DNA and tourism characteristics of the Sanur area…because now the system [for permit applications] is through the OSS, it is difficult for local governments to control when large investors directly input application through OSS.”

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Wibawa confirmed that the Mayor’s office is committed to improving Sanur as a tourism destination and for local communities. With so much new development happening in the area, there have been notable changes to the level of traffic congestion.

The Mayor’s Office is following up on this issue and seeking solutions to improve the area again for local communities and tourists who are passing through. 

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Deputy Mayor Wibawa said, “The Mayor’s desire is to reduce the congestion of the Denpasar City Government in the procurement of electric shuttle buses that will be used or the movement of transporting or serving visitors in the Sanur area.”

Improvements to public transport measures in and around Sanur would help tourists explore the area far more easily, quickly, and affordably. The improvements would also benefit the local community and those who commute into the resort for work. 

Deputy Mayor Wibawa added, “It is being studied by the Denpasar City Transportation Office. Astungkara is running in 2025; we add more so that after the procurement of electric transportation equipment, a parking ban is applied. It solves the problem of breaking down the bottleneck.”

He concluded that the “plan is to install street lighting equipment, the sidewalks will be repaired, and the [mayor’s] wish is to reduce traffic jams in Sanur.”

It is not only the Mayor’s Office that has raised concerns about elements of the new developments in Sanur. Last week, the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB), Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, shared his thoughts on the potential development of a beach club in the Sanur area. 

He said, “From the beginning, Sanur has been proven to be able to attract tourists who are looking for tranquility. Even during the pandemic, we can still exist. Sanur has a segmentation that has been created for decades and it has never changed.”

Adnyana concluded, “[the investors] must understand what the Sanur crowd is like. Maybe they have data, but as far as I know, this change has not had much effect on local people. If you bring a different crowd, this can change the map and have the opportunity to kill other businesses in Sanur.”