An Indonesian politician has proposed a tourist tax in Bali to attract “quality” foreign travelers instead of “low-income” problem guests. News.com.au reported on this and other measures against unnecessary categories of tourists.
Bali is looking to move away from “mass tourism” and gain a reputation as a “luxury holiday” destination, as well as a crackdown on crime. To this end, several measures have been proposed, including a ban on the use of motorbikes for tourists, an order for hotel staff to advise guests on acceptable behavior on the island, and an additional tax for all visitors. Large billboards are also expected to be erected as part of an official anti-riot campaign.
Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, an influential Indonesian politician, said: “I request that the introduction of a tax on tourists arriving in Indonesia be implemented immediately. This measure will be very useful for financing the development of tourist destinations and promoting tourism, as it has been implemented in several countries with great tourism potential.”
He also proposes a policy of deterring problematic tourists. Since living in Bali is quite cheap for citizens of some countries, they come to the island “to hang out” and ignore local laws and norms of behavior. “Low-income” tourists most often arrange brawls and fights, insult, including representatives of the authorities, spoil the rest of others and negatively affect the reputation of the resort.
The chairman of the regional legislative council in Bali province also expressed his opinion about tourists: “Yes, we need tourists, but respectable ones, not those who throw tantrums and riots.” For any violations of local laws, he suggests immediate expulsion from the island.
By the way, on Monday, the director of the General Directorate of Immigration of Indonesia, Silmi Karim, reported that 620 foreigners were deported from Indonesia in the first three months of the year. Reasons for deportation include misuse of visas and residence permits, overstaying, disorderly conduct, misconduct, and non-compliance with Indonesian regulations.