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Bali issues dos and don’ts list for tourists after spate of shocking scandals
- From naked Germans dancing in temples to a Danish woman exposing herself, Hindu-majority Bali has seen a series of head-shaking headlines recently
- To combat vulgar visitors and their indecent behaviour, the Indonesian island has 12 obligations and eight restrictions to let them know how to act
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Indonesia’s resort island of Bali has issued a new set of rules for foreign tourists in a bid to rein in misbehaving visitors, amid a flurry of incidents that have underlined the consequence of unchecked mass tourism to the Hindu-majority destination.
On Wednesday, Bali governor Wayan Koster issued a circular that outlined 12 obligations for international travellers to follow, alongside eight restrictions on their behaviour. These include respect for sacred temples, statues, customs, arts and culture; modest dress in sacred areas and at tourist attractions; politeness; complying with traffic laws; and conducting transactions using Indonesian rupiah.
The don’ts list spans trespassing on sacred land; climbing sacred trees; engaging in behaviour that defiles sacred places – such as taking indecent or nude photos; using single-use plastics; uttering offensive words and acting aggressively towards government officials, members of local communities or fellow tourists; and engaging in work without the proper permits.
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Bali issues tourism dos and don’ts list in wake of scandals involving unruly visitors
Bali issues tourism dos and don’ts list in wake of scandals involving unruly visitors
“[I ask] all parties to seriously understand, implement and socialise this circular letter to all staff and foreign tourists visiting Bali,” Koster told reporters on Wednesday.
On the same day, Koster, who is a ranking official of the ruling PDI-P party, also gathered all regents and mayors in Bali to follow the order of his party’s matriarch, former Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who has previously voiced her annoyance at foreign tourists’ misbehaviours in Bali.
“If you can’t [manage foreign tourists], you don’t have to run for the second period [in next year’s elections], that’s all. Don’t just be ambitious but don’t want to do something committed and dedicated,” an angry Koster told his subordinates on Wednesday.
The governor later reiterated his intention to ban foreign and domestic tourists from climbing the island’s 22 holy mountains, an idea that he coined this year but has yet to be implemented, alongside other policies such as banning foreigners from renting motorcycles.
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