The island of Bali in Indonesia, a popular vacation spot known for its beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts, is considering implementing a temporary halt on building new hotels, villas, and nightclubs in certain regions. This measure is being taken to address the issue of excessive development on its land, as reported by the island’s governor. The proposal has been made to the national government, which aims to improve the tourism sector in Bali, a top draw for visitors in Indonesia, with the goal of enhancing the quality of tourism experiences and employment opportunities, all while protecting the island’s unique local culture.
The pause on the crowded zones of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan focuses on preventing too much construction for business reasons, like golf courses and resort areas, mentioned Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, the island’s temporary leader.
“We are aiming to change the policy,” the online news outlet Detik reported him as expressing. “We hope for a directive concerning the freeze in the building of hotels, villas, discotheques, and seaside clubs for a period of one to two years.”
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On Monday, neither the governor’s office nor Indonesia’s tourism department responded right away to questions asking about their views on the matter. Luhut Pandjaitan, a high-ranking minister, mentioned in a statement the possibility of a two-year break, potentially lasting into the tenth year, but this was confirmed by the Jakarta Post newspaper the day before.
His government has yet to reply to a Reuters query regarding their stance. Just recently, Luhut mentioned that there are currently approximately 200,000 overseas residents in Bali, leading to issues like increased criminal activity, excessive construction, and job-related competition.
Ticket sales to Bali have skyrocketed following its reopening to the travel industry post-COVID-19 outbreak. Footage of tourists causing trouble frequently spreads online, leading to local frustration and quick, strong reactions from internet users across Indonesia. Official data reveals that Bali’s airports welcomed 2.9 million international guests in the first six months of the year, accounting for 65% of all international guests by air.
Last year, Bali recorded 541 hotels, an increase from 507 in 2019, according to the statistics.