Bali considering a ban on new hotels amid overtourism struggles

Reuters —

Indonesia has agreed to set a moratorium on the construction of hotels, villas and nightclubs in some areas on the tourist resort island of Bali, as it grapples with the over-development of land, a senior ministry official said on September 9.

The moratorium is part of the government’s bid to reform tourism on Bali, one of Indonesia’s main attractions, to try to boost quality and jobs while preserving the island’s indigenous culture.

Hermin Esti, a senior official at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs, told Reuters the government had agreed to set the moratorium, although the exact timeline was still being discussed.

On Saturday, Bali’s interim governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya said he suggested the moratorium in four of Bali’s busy areas to the central government, taking aim at over-development for commercial purposes, such as hotels, villas and beach clubs.

Aerial landscape taken by drone of the northern coastline of Bali in Indonesia with the Mount Agung volcano sitting on the horizon.

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The governor’s office and Indonesia’s tourism ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The moratorium could stretch up to 10 years, senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan was quoted by news website Detik as saying on September 8.

Luhut has previously said about 200,000 foreigners now live in Bali, contributing to problems such as crime, over-development and competition for jobs.

Foreign arrivals in Bali have surged since it re-opened for tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic. Videos of misbehaving tourists often go viral, angering residents and sparking harsh responses from