Indonesia may impose a tourist tax in order to regulate Bali’s misconduct

Indonesia is looking at implementing a tourist tax in response to a wave of incidents caused by inconsiderate visitors.

The potential implementation of a tourism tax is “currently being studied,” Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno assured reporters this week.

“We expect the study to wrap up in the coming weeks so we can discuss and decide [the issue],” he added, according to the Jakarta Post.

The planned levy has been met with resistance from business organizations who worry that it may discourage tourists from visiting the area. In the wake of the devastation inflicted by the COVID-19 outbreak, this would be a severe setback for Bali’s tourism industry.

However, the idea of imposing such a tax is not new. A proposal along these lines was made earlier this month by Indonesia’s Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan. Pandjaitan stated that due to Bali being one of the most affordable tourist destinations, there has been an increase in disruptive behavior because of the influx of “many low-income foreign visitors.” Pandjaitan put forth that the island pivot its efforts from catering to the masses to developing into a top-tier tourist destination.

It goes without saying that Bali is a world-famous tourist hotspot renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, traditional villages, and world-class waves for surfers. Before the pandemic, the area regularly welcomed about 6.2 million tourists from other countries. In addition, The Guardian reports that the tourism business on the island accounted for almost 60% of the local economy.

Bali has been suffering from the effects of rude tourists while receiving record numbers of visitors. The terrible behavior of tourists continues to infuriate locals, who have seen everything from foreigners posing naked for social media images at sacred locations to tourists driving recklessly on local roads.

“It was acceptable up to a point, but it has now gone too far,” Justin Smith, owner of a premium travel planning organization, explained to The Washington Post. “There’s an absolute lack of respect for the destination and for Bali to be pushed to that extent, that means this bad behavior is pretty extensive.”

According to Travel Pulse, this is just one of the newest strategies being examined to deal with the island’s worsening issue with rowdy visitors. The island is also attempting to put in place changes that would limit the number of visitors and nudge those who do travel there to act more appropriately.

This new initiative is described in a recent advertising campaign that the tourism board launched. Additionally, the island only recently announced plans to outlaw tourists renting motorbikes after a significant number of accidents when tourists simply disregarded local traffic rules.

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all.