Bali Moves to Tighten Immigration Checks on Foreigners

A member of Bali's regional parliament has called for tighter oversight of foreigners and a crackdown on illegal businesses run by them.

An association of travel agencies is pushing for tourists to be spread more evenly across the island. Against this backdrop, people on Indonesian social media are also discussing what kind of visitors Bali wants to attract in the future.

On 7 October, Anak Agung Bagus Tri Candra, a member of the Bali Regional Parliament, urged the provincial authorities to draft a dedicated regulation on quality tourism. He said the current control measures are not enough. Among the problems he cited were immigration violations, illegal business activity by foreigners, disregard for local customs, as well as drug-related incidents and fights.

He also proposed stepping up document checks on foreign nationals to establish why they have come to the island: for a holiday or for work. Foreigners planning to work or run a business in Bali must ensure they have the appropriate visa and work permits.

I Putu Winastra, head of the Bali chapter of the Association of Indonesian Travel Agencies (ASITA Bali), said tourist flows should not be concentrated mainly in the south of the island. In his view, northern, eastern and western Bali have great potential that could be unlocked through sound planning.

This would ease the pressure on popular areas and spread tourism income among a larger number of local residents and businesses.

The association is also calling for stricter oversight of tourism businesses. It believes all companies should follow the same rules: obtain the required permits, pay taxes and meet their other obligations. The association stresses that the point is specifically to ensure a level playing field for businesses operating legally.

Another part of the debate concerns what kind of visitors Bali wants to attract. Arya Wedakarna, a senator representing Bali, said the island needs tourists with high spending power. In his view, it is better to host fewer visitors but gain a greater economic benefit from tourism.

For now, all these proposals remain part of the public debate. The new regulation on quality tourism has not yet been adopted, and no specific timeline or measures to tighten controls have been announced.

Sources: The Bali Observer, Bali Netizen, Detik.