Denpasar (Indonesia) (AFP) – The Indonesian resort haven of Bali began imposing a 150,000 rupiah ($10) tax on arriving tourists Wednesday to preserve the culture of the “Island of Gods”, officials said.
Tourist-dependent Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors annually and the beach-dotted island is trying to capitalise on its popularity to boost its coffers and protect its tropical allure.
“This levy is aimed at the protection of the culture and the environment in Bali,” Bali’s acting governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya said at a launch ceremony Monday.
The fee will have to be paid electronically through the “Love Bali” online portal and will apply to foreign tourists entering Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, according to a press release.
The levy will not apply to domestic Indonesian tourists.
Nearly 4.8 million tourists visited Bali between January and November last year, according to official figures, as the island continued to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic after imposing a zero-tolerance policy on rule-breakers.
The palm-fringed hotspot has vowed a crackdown on misbehaving tourists after a spate of incidents that have included acts of disrespect to the predominantly Hindu island’s culture.
Incidents in recent years have included foreign tourists posing for naked photographs at sacred sites and flashing in the street.
Last year, the local government published an etiquette guide for tourists who wish to visit Bali after being pressed to do so by the island’s immigration office.
