The plan to charge an entry fee for every tourist visiting Bali won’t be applied to domestic tourists. The entry tax, which is worth of USD 10, will only be charged to foreign tourists.
This was said by Bali Governor, Wayan Koster, when the Bali Regional Government held a meeting at Gedung Dewan, Niti Mandala Denpasar, this week. Koster said that the decision was made after the government had discussed the situation with tourism stakeholders and the Tourism Ministry. “We have discussed it and have decided to charge the entry fee only to foreign tourists,” he said.
Koster explained that the decision was made because it was difficult to decide whether Indonesian citizens came to Bali for vacation or for another purpose, such as for business or working. “Indonesian citizens don’t always come to Bali for vacations. They could come here because they are working here. So, we decided not to charge any fees to them,” he added.
“I hope the regulation can be applied this year because it’s important for Bali. I have discussed it with the Finance Ministry, Tourism Ministry, and Domestic Affairs Ministry,” Koster said.
In regard to the implementation of the regulation, Koster said that the fees will be charged and collected by provincial government officers when tourists arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport. “We will coordinate with Angkasa Pura, the managers of Ngurah Rai International Airport, about the system. I think for now we will only implement the new regulation at the airport, but eventually we will implement it at other entry points too,” he said. With this entry fee regulation, Koster hoped that his side can get Rp 1.5 billion per year with the assumption that the number of foreign tourists reached 10 million visits per year.
Meanwhile, the Head of Bali House of Representatives, Nyoman Adi Wiryatama, said that from his side they will support the regulation. “We will complete the regional regulation as soon as possible,” he said, adding that, “Bali didn’t have other natural resources and only depended on the tourism sector, which is supported by the nature and culture of the island. So, if there are no recovery and revitalization funds, it would be difficult to maintain all of the supporting components of the tourism sector. I think it’s urgent because this fee will help Bali financially in the future,” he added.
Source&image: Seminyak Times
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