Local and regional newswires, including VN Express, are reporting that Bali will impose an E-Tax of IDR 150,000 (approx. USD 10) on tourists starting next year, to preserve the island’s culture and environment, officials said.
“The payment of a fee for foreign tourists applies only one time during their visit to Bali,” Governor I Wayan Koster told local lawmakers. The fee will have to be paid electronically and will apply to foreign tourists entering Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, he said.
The levy will not apply to domestic Indonesian tourists, say VN Express.
When asked if the new tax would deter visitors, Koster said authorities did not believe numbers would dip. “It’s not a problem. We will use it for the environment, culture and we will build better quality infrastructure so traveling to Bali will be more comfortable and safe,” he told reporters, say VN Express.
The move comes at a time when Bali has vowed to crackdown on misbehaving tourists after a spate of incidents that have included acts of disrespect to the predominantly Hindu island’s culture.
Source: VN Express
