Bali's $10 tourism tax for foreigners comes into effect

Foreign tourists must now pay a $10 tax to enter Bali, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. According to the BBC, the tourist tax, which was first announced last year, came into effect on Wednesday.

The Indonesian government said that this move aims to preserve the culture and environment of the "Island of Gods". It applies to foreign tourists entering the province from abroad or other parts of the country.

However, domestic tourists, diplomatic visa holders and ASEAN nationals are exempted from the tax, officials said.

"This levy is aimed at the protection of the culture and the environment in Bali," Bali's acting governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya said, as per AFP.

The tax applies to all international travellers, regardless of their age and gender, including children. Tourists will have to pay the tax each time they arrive in Bali. The fee will have to be paid electronically via the "Love Bali" online portal and will apply to foreign tourists entering Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, the BBC reported.

Tourists who do not want to pay online can also pay at arrival points, such as airports and seaports through multiple payment methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, virtual accounts or QRIS, which is a QR code standard developed by Bank Indonesia and Indonesian Payment System Association for cashless payments in the nation.

Bali is known for its pristine beaches and beautiful landscapes. It is one of the most popular destinations among tourists. According to official data, almost 4.8 million tourists visited the province between January and November last year. The BBC reported that tourism also contributed some 60 per cent to Bali's annual GPD before the pandemic.

Citing the province's statistics bureau, the outlet said that Australia was the largest contributor of foreign tourists to Bali in November 2023 with more than 1,00,000 arrivals. This was followed by tourists from India, China and Singapore.

However, misbehaving tourists in Bali have sparked outrage among locals in recent years. Last year, a Russian man was deported from Bali after stripping off at a sacred site. The same year, the Indonesian government also announced plans to ban foreign tourists from using motorbikes, after a spate of cases involving people breaking traffic laws. Last year, the local government also published an etiquette guide for tourists who wish to visit Bali.

/KN/