Bali to implement a $10 tourist tax “to protect the environment and culture” – Travel Tomorrow
The regional government of bali has announced that tourists will have to pay a tax of 150,000 rupees (the equivalent of 10 dollars or 9 euros) to enter the country. The new measure is expected to come into force in 2024. The fee, payable in local currency, will be collected at entry points to the island, such as Ngurah Rai International Airport. The income will be used to build infrastructure and preserve the culture on this tourist island and will be managed by an official body that will act in a “transparent and responsible” manner.
More than two million tourists visited the island in 2022, according to official figures. The authorities have decided to strengthen measures against foreigners who reside without permission or behave badly since the reopening of the island after the pandemic.
In June, the governor of Bali announced his decision to crack down on indecent behavior by tourists. Over the past few months, local authorities have been deploring a series of incivilities on the southern Indonesian island. Authorities are considering a series of bans to protect the island’s sacred natural sites.
These mountains are revered. If its sanctity is damaged, it is tantamount to degrading the sanctity of Bali.
Wayan Koster, Governor of Bali
Some tourists have behaved in a dangerous or offensive way towards the islanders. Nude photos in sacred places, filming of pornographic videos on high peaks considered deities, risky driving, degradation of protected natural areas. In less than half a year, around a hundred tourists have been deported
“These mountains are sacred and revered,” Bali Governor Wayan Koster told a news conference on a ban on climbing holy sites, reported by CNN. “If its sanctity is damaged, it is tantamount to degrading the sanctity of Bali. This ban is in effect forever and it is not only for foreign tourists but also for domestic tourists and local residents. With the exception of religious ceremonies or the management of natural disasters.”
A Russian tourist was expelled last April after posing nude, from the waist down, in a photograph in front of Mount Agung, considered sacred on the Indonesian island where Hinduism is the majority religion. “The deportation was carried out because (the Russian tourist) committed a dishonorable act, deliberately pulling down her pants and showing her genitalia in front of Mount Agung,” Bali Governor Wayan Koster said in a statement.
In the spring of 2023, a Russian woman posed nude for photos in front of a sacred tree and uploaded the images to her social media, according to reports. the independent. She later she was deported. Between 43,000 and 53,000 Russian citizens are expected to arrive in Bali in early 2023. The influx is believed to be directly related to the invasion of Ukraine and their desire to avoid military conscription.
