Bali – Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno believes that all parties including tourists have the same desire for Bali tourism to be maintained, both for natural and cultural resources.
“All tourists definitely want Bali to be maintained, all tourists want Bali to remain beautiful,” said Sandiaga on the sidelines of the ITIF 2023 activity, Wednesday (26/7/2023) at Merusaka Nusa Dua, Bali.
Therefore, Sandiaga is not too worried about the Bali Provincial Government’s plan to set a tourist tax of Rp150 thousand (about 10 US dollars) starting in 2024. The fee will be used by the Bali Provincial Government for the development of Bali tourism.
Such as waste management, maintaining mangrove ecosystems, coral reefs, cultural preservation, as well as tourism infrastructure development, and others.
“(Narrative) We certainly hope that the fee will not be a new additional cost, but the contribution (of tourists) to environmental preservation for the next years so that the tourism ecosystem in Bali is maintained,” explained Sandiaga.
The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy ensures that the application of this tourist tax will be well socialized.
“So friends, please be patient because later the Bali Provincial Government will continue to update, then coordinate with the Task Force (Bali Tourism Governance Task Force) because this is for conservation, for environmental sustainability, so that the preservation of local customs and wisdom is maintained,” Sandiaga said again.
He is also not worried if later other local governments will apply the same thing regarding tourist taxes. He also has not seen a tendency from other regions to impose taxes on tourists.
“More than 50 percent of foreign tourist visits to Bali and its growth has been strong and has been accepted by world tourism. But other regions are not yet known, so we better be very careful in applying additional fees. Bali may already be in a position to offer a contribution to conservation. We have to build that narrative,” said Sandiaga.
