Australian Consul-General in Denpasar Bali, Jo Stevens supports implementation of the foreign tourist levy in Bali of IDR 150 Thousand (USD 9.54) per person, which comes into effect on 14 February 2024.
Jo Stevens said, “This (levy), is a great thing to support culture. It will help with waste management and respect for customs, religion, and Balinese cultural aspects.” She was speaking on Monday, at the launch of foreign tourist levy, in Sanur.
He continued to say that the nominal amount for the foreign tourist levies of IDR150 thousand per person is what foreign tourists can pay. The diplomat said, “In my view, this is what tourists can afford.”
Matthew Downing, the British Deputy ambassador to Indonesia, had also supported a tax on foreign tourists. According to him taxation policies related tourism levies are implemented by many city or country government around the world. He said that funds from the levy were returned to the local government for funding a project. This is what he believes the Bali Provincial Government does with the foreign tourist levies policy, which includes the protection of nature and culture. He said that many cities and countries had implemented tourism levies.
Ida Bagus Agung Parta Adnyana of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association Bali (GIPI Bali) said that the levies on tourists from abroad are nothing new in the tourism industry.
He said that many global tourist destinations had already implemented policies similar to his. Amsterdam in the Netherlands saw cruise passenger fares rise to 11 euros per person from 8 euros and hotel room taxes increase to 12.5% or an increase of 7 percent. In Barcelona and Valencia in Spain, a fee is charged for each night of up to 3,25 euros. Bhutan charges a fee for every day of visit of 100 dollars for adults and 50 dollars per child. Venice has also begun charging a fee for tourists in 2024.
Two days before the levy comes into effect on February 14, 2020, foreign tourists have begun to show an interest in paying it. The President Director of PT Regional Development Bank Bali I Nyoman Sudharma announced that IDR 1.4 Billion in funds have been deposited into the regional treasury since the trial period began on February 7, 2020. The BUMD Bank is a perception-bank that accepts levy money from foreign tourists. This is the first of its kind in Indonesia. I Nyoman Sudharma said, “Now that we are able to accept transactions, hopefully it will continue being made easier.”
