Government of Bali Plans to Create Travel Guidebook to Educate Tourists on Do’s and Don’ts

Misbehaving Foreigners in Bali will Have Their Visas Revoked and Cannot Rent Motorcycles! (photo: era.id - antara)
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The provincial government of Bali, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, is planning to create a travel guidebook for Bali that contains a list of do’s and don’ts for tourists. This policy is a response to recent viral incidents of misbehaving foreign tourists in Bali, which have caused frustration among the local community.

According to Tjok Bagus Pemayun, the head of Bali’s tourism department, the travel guidebook will serve as a tool for educating visitors about responsible tourism practices in Bali.

The government is working with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to develop the guidebook, which will detail what tourists should and should not do upon arrival in Bali.

“We need to start educating tourists. We have coordinated with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to prepare a guidebook on what is allowed and what is not allowed for tourists upon their arrival,” said Pemayun during a press conference on March 17, 2023.

Additionally, tourism industry groups in Bali will be putting up billboards and distributing brochures in tourist areas to raise awareness of the do’s and don’ts of responsible tourism.

Pemayun emphasized that preserving Bali’s tourism industry is the responsibility of all parties involved, including the community, media, academics, tourism stakeholders, government, and tourists themselves, which he refers to as the “hexa helix.”

He further emphasized that Bali is looking for quality tourists who respect local customs and regulations. This requirement is stipulated in Article 7 of Governor Regulation No. 28 of 2020 regarding tourism in Bali.

As previously reported, the Balinese community has been shocked by the misbehavior and illegal work of some foreigners, and these incidents have gone viral on social media. Responding to this, the Governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, will enact new regulations. What are they?

Wayan Koster claims that his team is taking action against foreigners or tourists who behave badly, such as working illegally in Bali, not because it has gone viral on social media.

“I want to make a note, I act not because it has gone viral, sorry. There is no influence from viral things, we have been doing this since Covid-19,” Koster said during a press conference at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) Bali on Sunday (12/3).

However, according to him, cracking down on tourists who violate the law in Bali cannot be rushed and must have strong evidence and be new before being taken action upon.

“But, to open this up, we can’t rush it. I make sure of this and we have been dealing with it for months. But our way of working, we cannot open it on social media. Because there are things we have to protect, and we have already ensured that everything is done with strong evidence of violations before we take action. This is the first action, and the next will follow,” he said.