Bali Considers Hefty Daily Tourist Tax

Bali is considering upping its tourist tax from a one-time fee to a daily tax in order to attract higher-quality tourists.

The country began charging an IDR 150,000 (about $9) mandatory fee for all tourists about a year ago. However, according to The Bali Sun, recent reports indicated that poor enforcement and communication of the policy have led to less than 40% of all international arrivals paying the fee.

Visitors are supposed to pay the fee on arrival at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, or they can pay it online at the LoveBali website (or via the LoveBali app). Upon completion of the payment, visitors are issued a QR-code voucher they must hold on to as tourism officers may ask for proof of payment at any time.

According to Euronews, in speaking with a reporter at the South China Morning Post, Wayan Puspa Negara, head of the Bali Marginal Tourism Actors alliance and a lawmaker in Bali’s Badung regency said he’d like to see Bali “selecting” tourists, the same way Bhutan does. To enter Bhutan, which accepts less than a million visitors per year, visitors must apply for a visa in advance of travel for about $40, plus pay an additional $100 per day in Sustainable Development Fees.

The hope, he said, is to reduce the number of ill-behaved tourists by reducing the numbers of people who can afford to visit.

Tourism accounts for more than half of Bali’s economy, but overtourism is gradually creating more problems, including a unruly traffic, uncontrolled development, and a growing number of incidents involving poorly behaved visitors.