Bali wants $70 ‘tourist tax’ on Australians
The current $15 tourism levy could skyrocket to $70 under the latest government proposals.
By David Flynn, June 21 2024
That quick getaway to Bali could soon cost you a little more, with the government of the popular Indonesian holiday region seeking to raise the current $15 (IDR150,000) ‘foreign tourist tax’ to $70 (IDR750,000).
The $15 levy, introduced in February 2024, was intended to fund tourism initiatives and support the local Balinese community.
However, according to the BaliDiscovery website, the collection of this fee “has been plagued by inefficiency, with only a minority of foreign visitors actually paying.”
Alongside a push for the immigration service at Bali’s Denpasar International Airport to become more active in collecting the tax, the hike from $15 to $75 is also “seen as necessary to enhance the overall quality of visitors to the Island and address issues of poor behaviour and public order disruption.”
“I think Rp 150,000 tax is too low, so Bali seems like a cheap tourist destination,” said Bali Regional Legislative Council lawmaker Gede Komang Kresna Budi. “Why should Bali be sold cheaply?”
The proposed increase in the tourism tax would deter the lower end of the tourism market, Kresna Budi reasons.
He said the additional revenue generated by the higher tourist tax rate should be fed into Bali’s education and health sectors but also go towards the creation of an arm of the local police force “that specifically handles tourism issues.”
Meanwhile, there’s been no movement on plans to drop Indonesia‘s $50 visa-on-arrival program for Australians, flagged in December 2023, to encourage tourism and boost the local economy.
That move would see Bali and the rest of the country return to the largely visa-free travel model introduced in 2016 but later abandoned as part of Indonesia’s post-pandemic recovery plan.
Under current rules, travellers from Australia and 23 other countries must apply for a visa on arrival – such as when they land at Bali’s Denpasar airport – and pay a $50 fee for the 30-day visa.
Are you bound for Bali? Don’t miss our list of the best luxury hotels in Bali – including the family-friendly Mulia, which is like three resorts in one along a kilometre of Nusa Dua beachfront.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2011
Total posts 359
Make the fee $1000...that will get rid of the great unwashed.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jul 2014
Total posts 28
I have an idea. Why don't they fix their piece of crap website to make it easy to prepay? I lost over an hour of my life in April dealing with the worst student designed, poorly implemented and - best of all - uncoordinated websites all made by different lunatics. Visa, tax, pre-entry and so on. We finally got them all done but seriously why doesn't a high ranking official try them out and then bang some heads together to the various sites a) working properly and b) coordinated?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Sep 2017
Total posts 9
Bali, LOL, who in their right mind goes there. It's like Disneyland these days. If they keep it low though, the bogans will still go there and keep away from other places. I certainly hope that the bogan, gutless wonder, Mr 33% PM in Australia has the balls to charge the recalcitrants in Indonesia a hefty fee for them wanting to come to Australia. But he won't. He's a gutless piece of crap. Just imagine if Australia did this and said "hey Indonesians, because you are of a particular race, you need to pay 5-6 times what everyone else does". Imagine the screaming and whining and that would go on. Racism! "Australia is a racist country" they would scream. The Indo Presdent would recall the Ambassador and a diplomatic row would break out. But the pip squeak Indonesians can do exactly that and our gutless Govt led by #airbusalbo, #liarinthelodge #letsgoalbo will do nothing about it except lay back and take it
22 Jun 2024
Total posts 1
Nice rant, shame you are ignorant of the facts. Indonesians already have a complicated application process to get a tourist visa to Australia, plus they have to pay $170 application fee.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Sep 2017
Total posts 162
Bali is trashed now and no amount of taxation will fix anything. Went there in ‘88 and it was still quite good. Went there again with some misgivings in 2017 and it was gone. A further 7 years on - no way! It’s so ruined that the ‘right type’ of people need to be paid to go there and the ‘wrong type’ (yes, Freddie, there is a right and a wrong type) need to be kept out.
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