Additional costs for the millions of tourists wanting to go to Bali.
The volcanic island with fine sandy beaches, which attracts millions of foreign visitors each year, wants to replenish its finances to combat the undesirable effects of tourism.
For this, the most popular and best-known tourist destination in Indonesia began to impose on foreign tourists as of Wednesday, a tax of 150,000 rupees (or approximately 10 dollars or 9 euros) intended to preserve "the island of Gods,” authorities said.
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“This levy aims to protect the culture and environment in Bali,” Bali Acting Governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya said at a launch ceremony on Monday (February 12).
The fee will need to be paid online through the "Love Bali" portal and will apply to foreign tourists arriving in Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, according to a press release.
The governor believes that online payment will reduce queues for arriving visitors.
On the other hand, this new tax will not apply to Indonesian tourists.
Around 5 million tourists in 2023
Nearly 4.8 million tourists visited Bali between January and November 2023, according to official figures, as the island's tourism sector, which suffered greatly from the Covid-19 pandemic due to border closures , continues to recover.
Recently, the tropical island pledged to crack down on tourist incivility after observing several incidents, including naked foreigners in temples or sacred sites, which shocked the island's majority Hindu population.
Last year, the local government released a guide for tourists to Bali explaining behaviors to avoid.
Bali is not the first destination to introduce a tax to combat overtourism.
Recently, Venice City Hall implemented a tax for tourists coming to the city for just one day during the high season.
In Bhutan, after being $200 per day, the daily tourist tax was lowered to $100 per day last September.