A trip to Bali is about to get more expensive.
International travellers, including Aussies, will have to pay a new tax as part of the Indonesian Government’s proposed legislation targeted at preserving the island’s rich “culture and environment”.
The fee of 150,000 Rupiah (about $15 AUD) will need to be paid on arrival by every international traveller from 2024, with the amount being charged in local currency.
Making the announcement on Wednesday, Governor of Bali Wayan Koster said the revenue from the new tax would be used in promoting the island’s recovery and help protect its many “fragile ecological systems”.
“Bali’s nature has become a major national and world tourism destination and has indeed made a positive contribution to Bali itself and nationally, but on the other hand, it has also had a serious negative impact,” Mr Koster said.
“In order to protect the glory of Balinese culture and the quality of the natural environment, it is very necessary to make concrete efforts in mutual cooperation with all parties related to Bali tourism.
“This effort requires cooperation, participation, and mutual cooperation between the Government, Regional Governments, tourism actors, and foreign tourists.”
Koster said he did not believe the fee would deter tourists.
“It’s not a problem,” he said.
“We will use it (money) for the environment, culture and we will build better quality infrastructure so travelling to Bali will be more comfortable and safe.”
Indonesian authorities are determined to sway the public perception of Bali as a “cheap” holiday destination.
“Income from the tourism tax would help fund a range of measures and prevent Bali from becoming known only as a cheap destination,” Bali Tourism Board chairman Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana told Sky News.
“Cheap destinations bring in cheap tourists who tend to cause a lot of problems.”
The proposal for the new tax has been tabled under the Draft Regional Regulation on Fees for Foreign Tourists to the Bali DPRD and has been submitted for a formal sign-off.
More than 40,000 visited the island in May, according to data from the Bali Central Bureau of Statistics. Almost 25 per cent of those who visited in May were from Australia.