Bali, often hailed as the “Island of Gods” in Indonesia, is grappling with a paradoxical challenge: it craves tourists for their economic contribution but seeks to safeguard its cherished reputation from unruly behavior.
Recent incidents, from a German woman’s temple-stripping escapade in Ubud to an American man defacing a Balinese police car, have strained the island’s hospitality.
Governor Wayan Koster has initiated measures to curb this misconduct, including attaching a list of dos and don’ts to tourist passports and deporting over 136 foreigners for improper conduct this year alone.
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When will the Bali Tourism Tax Start?
In an effort to preserve the province’s rich culture and environment, Koster has announced a new $10 per person tourist tax, set to take effect next year, 2024.
Who has to pay the Bali Tourism Tax?
All international arrivals on the island will pay the imposed Bali Tourist Tax in 2024 and beyond.
More Information on the Bali Tourism Tax in 2024
Tensions have been rising due to a prevailing sense of disrespect displayed by visitors towards the local populace and their traditions. Notably, in recent months, a party of 17 tourists staying at a homestay filed a grievance about noisy roosters in the vicinity. Governor Koster, in reply, remarked, “They aren’t obliged to visit Bali. We don’t need to engage with individuals of that kind.”
Read More: Europe to Impose a Tourist Tax in 2024
The idea of introducing a tax for foreign visitors to Bali was initially discussed in 2019 as a response to the strains caused by overtourism, a concern that existed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This concept finds precedence in other destinations as well: earlier this year, Malaysia reinstated a tourist tax of 10 ringgit ($2) per night for hotels, while Bhutan implemented a $200 per night fee for visitors’ stays in the country last year. Officials in these places justified the tax due to the strain tourism had placed on their infrastructure.
In Conclusion
Although Bali’s upcoming tourist tax, which will be collected electronically, has raised apprehensions among some businesses fearing it might discourage foreign visitors, Governor Koster has dismissed these concerns. He emphasized that the relatively modest fee will not deter tourists, and the revenue generated will be dedicated to environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and the enhancement of infrastructure to make traveling to Bali more comfortable and secure.
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