Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno has once more reacted to the unruly behaviour of foreign tourists in Bali, which has often drawn attention from the media. A female German national recently performed a naked dance at an island art festival. According to reports, she suffered from depression and was sent to a mental hospital shortly after being detained by the authorities.
“We should be able to prevent such incidents by implementing good and strict SOPs for the comfort and safety of tourist attractions to enforce regulations, maintain norms, and respect the customs of the local community for the good image of Bali and Indonesia in general,” Sandiaga said in a statement on Monday, the 29th of May 2023.
To preserve a positive reputation for tourism worldwide, the Minister required that all parties in the local government disseminate dos and don’ts for foreign tourists in Bali. Sandiaga Uno said the government had also contacted immigration and the aviation industry.
The government also established the AI TIWI discussion board as a place where individuals could report or voice their complaints about foreigners breaking the law.
Minister Sandiaga Uno emphasized, “We ask all relevant stakeholders to cooperate in distributing knowledge about tourist regulations.”
The Balinese government deported 129 foreign nationals between January and May for breaking several laws and customs related to tourism, including wearing inappropriate clothing in sacred or public places, acting impolitely in holy places, working or conducting business without proper documentation, and breaking traffic laws.
Minister Sandiaga Uno assured that the government is trying their best to tackle this problem by giving a harsher punishment or even straight-out deportation and asking all the stakeholders to cooperate since this issue is not a one-person problem.
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