Despite weeks of significant announcements and proposed policy changes that would significantly affect tourism in Bali, authorities have verified that new tourism regulations have yet to be implemented. According to Tjokorda Bagus Pemayun, head of the Bali Tourism Office, the discussion on the new suggested policies is still in progress.
The Tourism Task Force is enforcing the legislation more strictly than before, but no changes in tourism regulation have been made.
Before any suggested “special guidance” measures for tourism regulation are implemented, Pemayun said further conversations with law enforcement, tourism groups, and other stakeholders are required.
This includes the proposed tourism quota policy, which would place a cap on the number of foreign visitors allowed into Bali, Indonesia, the proposed ban on tourists operating motor vehicles on the island, and the recent proposal by Governor Wayan Koster to revoke the right of Russian and Ukrainian nationals to obtain visas on arrival.
I Nyoman Nuarta, the Chairperson of the DPD Bali Indonesian Tour Guide Association (HPI), also made a public statement claiming that no definitive “decision” had been made about the rules governing what tourists, especially foreign tourists, are allowed to do and are not allowed to do. Everything is a work in progress in terms of the new tourism regulations.
The Tourism Task Force is instead concentrating on upholding the current policy. This entails monitoring that visitors act according to the terms of their visas, such as refraining from working or engaging in commercial activities and toughening up on tourists who violate traffic laws or drive without a valid license.
Despite stating that the process will not be rushed and that no “premature” modifications will be made to the current tourism policy in Bali, Indonesia, Nuarta said that a new policy requiring SIM C driving licenses for tourists, financial checks for visitors, and tourism quotas are on the way.
According to local media, the alleged “good tourist guide” is still a work in progress and will likely be published shortly. The provincial administration is developing an instructional tool to clarify what conduct is required of visitors in Bali, Indonesia.
Pemayun said that rules for responsible visitor conduct are being developed and that policies will take some time to alter. “We’ll give out some Dos and Don’ts, what visitors may and cannot do,” he said.
Pemayun stated, “Now that we’ve organised everything (the new tourism regulations), it’s about to be finalised, addressing the planned legal amendments. Let’s hope it can be processed to the Legal Bureau.”
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