A "paradise" with a new fee for tourists. They won't like it
The new tourist tax in Bali was a hot topic in local media this year. Officials provided details and also confirmed the date of the introduction of the new mandatory fee, which will apply to all foreign guests visiting this holiday island.
9:19 AM EDT, October 24, 2023
The date of introduction of the new tax is easy to remember as it will be levied on February 14, 2024. So, anyone who lands in Bali for Valentine's Day has to take into account the need to pay a specified amount.
New tourist tax in Bali
The Director of the Bali Tourism Department, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, confirmed that the new fee will formally start to apply earlier than initially anticipated.
The tourist tax will be 150,000 rupees, which is approximately $11 per person, including children. The fee will be levied for each visit to Bali. So if tourists during their stay choose to go to other islands and return to Bali, they will have to pay the tax once again.
The law regarding the new tax is awaiting approval from local authorities as well as relevant individuals at the central level.
Tourists who arrive in Bali with a stopover in Indonesia, e.g. in Jakarta, also have to pay a fee at the airport. The Department of Tourism emphasizes that the new tax is introduced regardless of the existing 30-day visa fee of $33. Payments cannot be made together because the new tax is a local fee.
Tourists are worried about airport lines, as up to 18,000 people arrive in Bali each day, but authorities reassure that the fee collection system is already developed. Although the fee must be paid in rupees, card payment will be possible. Payment processing is expected to take a maximum of 23 seconds.
It is also said that in the future an online system will be introduced, through which it will be possible to pay the fee.
Officials have assured that the revenue from the new tax will be used for "environmental, nature and cultural protection". The Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, stated that he wants the first part of the revenue generated from the tourist tax to be allocated to waste management.
