Commentary: Hotel ban in Bali? Not a second too soon

TIME TO LOOK BEYOND BALI

Not all visitors are welcome. Officials have talked about how badly behaved some are, and the risk to local culture. Holiday-makers posing naked on sacred mountains, allegations of drug abuse, and attacks on local people have exhausted patience. The government deported more than 100 tourists last year, and imposed a motorbike ban after a spate of dangerous road accidents. 

Previous administrations have tried to solve these problems before, but nothing has worked, mainly because of a lack of policy implementation. Even with this plan to temporarily halt development, which sounds great on paper, there is no clear timeline. 

There are concrete things Indonesian authorities can do. A railway transport plan, connecting the airport with popular tourist hubs, would go a long way to solve the gridlock issue.

But many Balinese say they don’t see it benefiting them, and the construction will no doubt add to the current traffic. A completion date of 2027 is being discussed, but even before the project has kicked off properly there are concerns about an overreliance on Chinese contractors, and the possibility that it could be held up by local regulations. 

It’s time to look beyond Bali, and diversify Indonesia’s holiday destination offerings. 

Other islands, like Sumba and Labuan Bajo, are starting to become popular with discerning tourists, though none has Bali’s the mass appeal. Improving air connectivity and infrastructure, and marketing them better, would go a long way toward attracting more visitors. This would help to reduce the dependence on Bali as a cash cow, and also add to Indonesia’s appeal as a vacation spot. 

Spanning the distance between London and Baghdad from west to east, with three different time zones and hundreds of different ethnic groups and languages, Indonesia is a big and beautiful country. The next Bali is just waiting to be found. The gods of the island will thank you for it.