Top Official Says Bali Must Find Way To Balance Mass Tourism

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It is a widely acknowledged fact that Bali is finding its relationship with tourism complicated at the moment.

The island has been seeking to redefine its tourism model and move towards more sustainable and culturally respectful tourism as the standard. 

What Bali is really grappling with is how to balance mass tourism.

This is something that the spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry for Tourism and Creative Economies discussed with the press earlier this week.

Nia Niscaya, a civil servant for the Ministry, held a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, 19th February. 

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Niscaya spoke openly about Bali’s need to find a happier balance within the mass tourism sector, especially since there have been increasing incidences over the last year of foreigners behaving badly and of foreigners complaining about how the experience on the island didn’t live up to their expectations. 

Niscaya said, “When we talk about mass tourism, the challenge is how do you manage it well? How do we manage and regulate the number of visitors because every destination definitely has capacity.”

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She continued, “So mass is not always bad, but it has to be managed well. For example, in one destination, that’s [the maximum capacity] you can do…But at certain times in certain places, there can only be so many [tourists]. So, in my opinion, the challenge of mass tourism is how we balance carrying capacity and are managing it.”

When asked if Bali is ‘too full,’ Niscaya didn’t agree nor disagree but did note that the province is at risk of being a victim of its own success if a balance is not found quickly.

She said, “Many people complain about traffic jams. Yes, it’s time to manage the infrastructure. And one might also need to balance between north and south Bali.”

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Niscaya continued, “Even though there are also many [destinations] in the north, there are also many in the west, so this is our challenge to be more aggressive [with promotions] or provide balanced information or promotion of attractions in areas that are not congested so that there will be movement.” 

She said, “This is also a way of managing in accordance with carrying capacity. Hopefully, I think this has become a concern.”

Echoing statements made by the ex-Deputy Governor of Bali, Cok Ace, Niscaya said that a serious spatial planning survey of Bali’s top resorts must be carried out to ensure that all development is being carried out in accordance with the law. This is for the benefit of local people and tourists too.

Niscaya said that developers in the Canggu area, in particular, need to ensure they are operating above board.

She said, “Surely they have [permits and licenses]. But the point is that planning is important to calculate the environmental impact. The socio-economic impact on the environment must be in place. There is a regional tourism master plan.”

Cok Ace told reporters this week that tourists and developers are more interested in modern design than in creating hotels and resorts in alignment with traditional Balinese architecture and cultural principles.

He also wants to see building permits and licenses be issued in stricter alignment with the law. 

Cok Ace noted that many developments are creeping into the boundaries of villages, which is against relational regulations.

This is especially important for foreigners looking to build a property in Bali or even buy an existing property in Bali.

Cok Ace asked ‘When you violate environmental regulations and yet say the permit has been fulfilled, why is there not a demonstration [of proof]?”

He wants to see a huge survey completed to ensure that the construction of new hotels, apartments, and villas aligns with tourists’ demand.