Bali will start charging foreign tourists a levy to visit starting next February, part of broader moves by the tropical island to clean up its tourism scene.
(Bloomberg) — Bali will start charging foreign tourists a levy to visit starting next February, part of broader moves by the tropical island to clean up its tourism scene.
Overseas visitors must pay 150,000 rupiah ($10) per person for each entry to the island, and the funds will be used to conserve coral reefs, mangroves and other sustainable projects, Tjokorda Bagus Pemayun, head of tourism office, said in a Thursday interview. The levy must be paid before or at the time of arrival, with the rest of the detail still under discussion, he added.
While Bali’s tourism sector hasn’t fully rebounded from the pandemic, it is already grappling with a deluge of misbehaving visitors that have worsened crime rates and roused the anger of residents. The island has deported hundreds of tourists this year and issued a guide for how they should behave, including how to respect the local customs and rituals.
The crackdown hasn’t hurt foreign arrivals, with tourist numbers rising steadily to nearly half a million in June, more than doubling from a year ago, according to the statistics bureau.
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