Indonesia: Bali to Ban Hotel Construction Amid Tourism Overdevelopment
Indonesia: Bali to Ban Hotel Construction Amid Tourism Overdevelopment
The Facts
Indonesia's government has approved a moratorium on building hotels, villas, and nightclubs on the island of Bali. Senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan reportedly said the moratorium, aimed preventing overdevelopment, could last up to ten years.Indonesia's government has approved a moratorium on building hotels, villas, and nightclubs on the island of Bali. Government officials said the reasons for the policy include protecting the environment and indigenous culture.
According to Luhut, Bali is now home to 200k — on top of the 2.9M tourists so far this year — which he said has led to increases in crime, overdevelopment, and competition for jobs.According to acting Bali Gov. Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, the moratorium, which is to occur in the Sarbagita region, is set for one to two years, but potentially up to 10 years. He added that the main goal is to slow commercial development on rice fields.
The Spin
Besides the environmental issues, from water allocation to pollution and littering, tourism has led to cultural decay, largely thanks to tourists disrespecting local people and their religious sites. If tourism was cut back, Bali could save its cultural identity while also propping up its economy through marine and agricultural industries. This is not a zero-sum game.
Balinese culture has sustained and even integrated itself with foreign visitors for almost a century. As children continue to learn traditional worship, dress, and sartart, they also monetize their culture by performing for and selling merchandise to tourists. As long as locals are able to maintain their historical lifestyle at home, tourism wonshouldn't be a problem.
