Starting Next Year, Tourists Visiting Bali Will Pay a Tax... 'Tourism Tax 12,800 Won'

Introduction of Tourism Tax to Protect Culture and Environment in Bali Region
Tourism Tax Revenue to Be Used for Developing Local Tourism Infrastructure

Bali, Indonesia's largest tourist destination, will impose a tourism tax of about 12,800 KRW on foreign tourists starting next year. The revenue from the tourism tax will be used for the development of tourism infrastructure in the Bali region.

Indonesian Bali Beach
Photo by Yonhap News

According to Indonesian Detik News and others on the 13th (local time), Wayan Koster, Governor of Bali, announced at the provincial council on the 12th that starting next year, a tourism tax of 150,000 rupiah (approximately 12,800 KRW) will be imposed on foreign tourists. The tourism tax will be charged to foreign tourists entering Bali through airports or seaports and will not apply to Indonesians.

The Bali government appears to have made this decision to protect local culture and the environment. Recently, as COVID-19 restrictions have eased, the number of tourists visiting Bali has surged. More than 2 million people visited Bali last year, and about 5 million are expected this year. However, with the increase in tourists, problems such as increased waste, disturbances caused by foreign tourists, and public safety issues have arisen, leading the government to ultimately decide to introduce the tourism tax.

Some have expressed concerns that imposing a tourism tax might reduce the number of tourists by increasing their burden. However, Governor Koster said this would not be the case, stating, "If the tourism tax is used for Bali's culture and environment, it will help build better infrastructure."