Passengers arrive on the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Worldwide Airport in Badung, Bali, Indonesia, Sept. 2, 2022. Photograph by Reuters
The Indonesian resort haven of Bali started imposing a 150,000 rupiah ($10) tax on arriving vacationers Wednesday to protect the tradition of the “Island of Gods”, officers mentioned.
Vacationer-dependent Bali attracts thousands and thousands of overseas guests yearly and the beach-dotted island is making an attempt to capitalize on its reputation to spice up its coffers and defend its tropical attract.
“This levy is aimed on the safety of the tradition and the atmosphere in Bali,” Bali’s performing governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya mentioned at a launch ceremony Monday.
The price must be paid electronically via the “Love Bali” on-line portal and can apply to overseas vacationers coming into Bali from overseas or from different elements of Indonesia, in keeping with a press launch.
The levy is not going to apply to home Indonesian vacationers.
Practically 4.8 million vacationers visited Bali between January and November final yr, in keeping with official figures, because the island continued to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic after imposing a zero-tolerance coverage on rule-breakers.
The palm-fringed hotspot has vowed a crackdown on misbehaving vacationers after a spate of incidents which have included acts of disrespect to the predominantly Hindu island’s tradition.
Incidents lately have included overseas vacationers posing for bare pictures at sacred websites and flashing on the street.
Final yr, the native authorities revealed an etiquette information for vacationers who want to go to Bali after being pressed to take action by the island’s immigration workplace.