Bali Residents Worn Out By Rude Visitors

Bali has been open to foreign tourists for just over a year, but the island has already seen an increase in disruptive behaviour from visitors. This has prompted authorities to come up with new strategies to deal with the problem.

 

To dissuade misbehaving tourists from visiting, a senior official in the nation's capital has lately called for a tax on all international arrivals to Indonesia. The Bali Tourism Board has launched a campaign to encourage visitors to the island to act more responsibly, while the local administration is considering barring tourists from renting motorcycles in an effort to reduce the number of accidents caused by holidaymakers. The Indonesian immigration service has been quite active recently, deporting foreigners who overstayed their tourist visas and engaged in illicit activities.

Although many people of different ethnic backgrounds have been engaged in recent mishaps, Bali Governor Wayan Koster said in a news conference that he has proposed rescinding the visa-on-arrival programme for travellers from Russia and Ukraine, who have been visiting in larger numbers since the armed conflict.

Foreign media outlets have also reported on incidents of topless driving and indecent exposure, as well as collisions caused by reckless driving, conflicts with local officials, immigration offences, and other misdeeds.

Over-tourism has been a problem in many tourist hotspots, and Bali is no exception. A measure to eliminate Hawaii's state-run tourist board is now in the legislative review process. Amsterdam has been attempting to curtail boisterous visitor behaviour in its Red Light District by, among other things, restricting the hours in which bars, restaurants, and brothels may operate. Visitors to Rome, Florence, and Venice have been receiving fines from Italian authorities for various infractions, including trash, camping, graffiti, and traffic offences.

Bali is just as tired of visitors who don't violate the law but don't respect local culture either. The director of the Bali government's tourist office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, explained that the Balinese culture is a source of enjoyment for residents, so to see outsiders mistreat it will always be a reason for frustration. Pemayun suggested that in order to properly enjoy Bali, tourists should "respect cultural values, traditions, and local wisdom." Moreover, travellers are urged to maintain peace and order while visiting, reduce their impact on the environment and support local entrepreneurs.

 

Source: washingtonpost.com