ER
TOURISM actors and tourism offices welcome the discourse of taxing foreign tourists vacationing in Bali. This discourse is considered capable of encouraging a quality tourism sector.
“I agree [with this discourse],” said the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Board (BTB), Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana, when contacted on Wednesday (04.05), 2023.
Partha hopes that this foreign tourist tax can go 100% into Bali’s regional income. So that this tax can be used to build infrastructure, maintain arts and culture, and promote Bali tourism abroad. So far, the [Bali] Provincial Government has not received a penny from tourism.
Previously there were several countries that also implemented policies to tax foreign tourists, one of which was Thailand. According to Partha, this tourist tax will not have a negative impact on foreign tourist visits.
“Just imagine if [there are] 5 million [foreign] tourists in 2019, multiplied by 10 USD, it’s very good. As long as, with a note, it goes full into regional [revenue],” said Partha.
Meanwhile, the Head of Bali’s Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, said does not know about the mechanism and amount of foreign tourist tax. Because this discourse is still being discussed.
“I don’t know [how much and the mechanism], because this is still being discussed,” said Tjok Bagus.
The tourist tax discourse was first echoed by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. This plan emerged in response to the rampant foreigners who were troublemakers in Bali.
“I also request that the initiative to impose a tax on tourists entering Indonesia be immediately realized,” Luhut said on his Instagram account. [sources/photo special]
