Indonesia says it will suspend the construction of new hotels in parts of Bali, driven by concerns over the strain overtourism is putting on the tourist-friendly province.
According to Reuters, Indonesia has agreed to a moratorium that will also apply to building villas and nightclubs in the busiest parts of Bali.
While it’s best known for its natural beauty, peaceful temples, and wellness retreats, last year CNN named Bali one of the places worst hit by overtourism, citing a number of incidents of tourists behaving badly.
Nearly three million international visitors visited Bali in the first half of this year, according to the Bali Hotels Association, a significant rise from previous years.
Hermin Esti, a senior official at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs, told Reuters that while the building moratorium has been agreed on, the timeline has not yet been finalized.
The Jakarta Post reported that the initial proposal was for two years.
But senior Indonesian minister Luhut Pandijaitan, according to the Indonesian website detik, said the moratorium could last up to 10 years if necessary.
Bali’s acting governor, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, proposed the building moratorium for four busy areas of the island, and told the Indonesian news agency Antara that it is to encourage “quality” tourism.
According to a 2023 article by The Washington Post, along with increased traffic, locals were fed up with unruly behavior by international tourists, including reckless driving and indecent exposure.
Things have become so bad that authorities started handing out a “dos and don’ts” card to foreigners landing in Bali, advising them to dress modestly, not to swear, and to respect the sanctity of temples and religious statues.
A tourism tax of roughly $10 per person was also introduced earlier this year for foreign visitors.
Bali’s acting governor told Antara that the building moratorium was also driven by concerns over the conversion of rice fields into commercial land.
According to the conservation website Mongabay, Bali loses about 2,500 acres of agricultural land annually to development, mostly for tourism purposes.
Last month, Luhut, the senior Indonesian minister, told Reuters that: “We don’t want to see paddy fields become a villa or become a nude club.”
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