Indonesia is considering a ban on the construction of new tourist facilities such as hotels and beach clubs on the popular island of Bali, amid fears of overtourism. The ‘island of the gods’, as it’s known to some, has long been a favourite among global travellers.
However, the influx of visitors is starting to take its toll on the local community and government. As a result, they’re contemplating a halt on new venue constructions as part of measures to mitigate the impact of mass tourism.
Ida Ayu Indah Yustikarini, head of the Bali tourism officer’s marketing division, told the Financial Times: “Bali’s provincial government has proposed a moratorium on the development of hotels, villas, nightclubs and beach clubs in four busy areas.”
She added that the aim of these measures was to “encourage a quality tourism industry”. From January to July this year, the island saw a 22% increase in foreign visitors compared to the same period last year, attracting 3.5 million tourists.
This surge has led to tensions with locals who are complaining about traffic congestion, crime, overdevelopment and disrespect for Indonesian culture.
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(Image: Getty))
Kadek Adnyana, founder of the Bali Villa Rental and Management Association, expressed grave concerns, saying: “Many locals feel that Bali’s unique culture and traditions are being commercialised or diluted to cater to mass tourism. This unchecked development is often viewed as damaging Bali’s natural beauty and causing unsustainable growth.”
Countries around the globe are grappling with overtourism in 2024, a year of tourist turmoil for nations including Spain, Portugal, Croatia, and even the UK. Each appear to be buckling under the vast influx of people flocking to their popular cities and quaint villages.
The tourism tide has also raised alarm in Split, Croatia’s picturesque coastal city, with peak summer crowds souring the local experience. One explained: “The locals (including myself) feel as if they’re strangers in their own town. I feel very anxious about that because it’s just so weird walking around your own hometown [and] not hearing a word of Croatian most of the time.”
As for identifying the less considerate visitors, they said: “I would say that those are the tourists who don’t have a certain dose of respect for the city and the culture they’re getting engaged with. For example, when they urinate all over the ancient Roman ruins and parts of the town, they disrespect the locals.
“But one of the main things which aren’t major but they do make me a bit annoyed I would say is when they just don’t have the general conscience about their surroundings and then just block the way by just standing in the middle of the already very narrow street.
“Most of the people here would say that the worst tourists are Americans because they tend to be obnoxious and loud and just very much into your face type of people.”
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