Bali, Indonesia Sees 11% Increase in Tourists Last Year
Tourist Waste Output Three Times That of Residents
Calls Grow for Expanding Tourist Tax
Bali, Indonesia, renowned as a representative honeymoon destination and resort, is struggling with an overflowing garbage problem amid a surge in tourists.
On the 19th (local time), local media such as the Jakarta Post reported that from January to November last year, the total number of domestic and international tourists visiting Bali was approximately 14.96 million. This represents an increase of about 11% compared to the same period the previous year.
Bali experienced a significant drop in tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic, but from 2023, the number of tourists began to surge, recently recovering to pre-COVID-19 levels.
With the explosion of tourists, the southern part of Bali Island, where major tourist spots are concentrated, has been overwhelmed by excessive garbage. Local media reported that the annual amount of waste generated in Bali is 1.6 million tons, of which 300,000 tons are plastic waste. The amount of waste produced by tourists is more than three times that produced by residents.
The problem is that a significant portion of this waste is not properly managed. In particular, 33,000 tons of plastic waste flow directly into the sea every year through waterways. Because of this, earlier this month, when strong waves occurred, plastic waste was pushed back onto Kedonganan Beach in southern Bali, covering the beach entirely with trash. About 600 locals, hotel staff, and volunteer tourists participated in cleaning the beach, and the amount of waste collected from this beach over a week reached 25 tons.
As this problem grew, the Indonesian government began imposing a tourist tax of 150,000 rupiah (about 13,410 won) per foreign tourist starting in February last year. However, since the environmental issues were not resolved despite the introduction of the tourist tax, authorities are considering raising the tax further. A Bali provincial assembly member even argued that the tourist tax should be significantly increased to 50 US dollars (about 73,000 won). In response, the Bali Tourism Board and tourism organizations have stated that raising the tourist tax will not solve the garbage problem and have called for regulations to prevent the construction of more hotels or accommodations.
The Bali provincial government has requested the Indonesian central government to suspend permits for new hotels, resorts, nightclubs, beach clubs, and other developments in major tourist areas for two years. In response, the Indonesian government has formulated a plan to build another airport in the northern region of Bali Island and develop the area to become a second Singapore. This aims to disperse tourists concentrated in southern Bali to the northern region.
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