According to reporting from Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Asia, Bali’s proposed moratorium to temporarily halt the construction of new hotels and villas in Sarbagita (an acronym of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan) will ultimately improve Bali’s spatial planning for the long term and will come with policies guiding hotel development and tourism management that are in line with cultural values and sustainability.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s tourism and creative economy minister, said: “We are concerned that many tourism accommodation facilities, such as newly-built hotels and villas, are not making adequate considerations for the environment and long-term sustainability,” adding that the government would thoroughly analyze Bali’s southern region, specifically Sarbagita, to identify areas that need attention.
“Not all of South Bali is the same; maybe Badung is different from Tabanan. We will formulate (the policy) later,” Sandiaga said.
Speaking at the recent International Quality Tourism Conference, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, highlighted the large number of agricultural lands in Bali that have been converted into villas and hotels, reports TTG Asia.
He said the new policies would ensure better control over the conversion of agricultural land for commercial use, and mandate a greater sustainability focus in tourism development.
He said the moratorium could cover a period of up to 10 years.
I Gusti Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, vice chairman of the Indonesia Hotel & Restaurant Association Bali Chapter, said the moratorium must be supported by other integrated and sustainable policies for effectiveness. Implementation must come with clear regulations related to spatial planning and land use, says TTG Asia.
“The key to the success of the moratorium is strict law enforcement and regulations. Severe sanctions need to be imposed on parties that violate the rules. The government must also commit to implementing the principles of sustainable tourism. Otherwise, the moratorium will only delay the damage, instead of solving the existing problems,” Rai said.
Eduard Rudolf Pangkerego, COO, of the Artotel Group, agreed, adding that community involvement in monitoring and reporting violations of the new rules would be crucial, as would good coordination between the central government, local governments, and other related agencies, according to TTG Asia.
Eduard said details and implementation should not come at the last minute, as doing so would impact the business climate in Bali.
“Bali could follow the example of Yogyakarta, which successfully re-planned its tourism (development) through a moratorium,” he said.
Source: Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Asia
