Bali Governor Urges Tourists to Pay Visitor Levy

A message from Governor Wayan Koster to foreign travellers has appeared on the official website of the Bali provincial government (baliprov.go.id).

In his letter, the head of the province thanked visitors, reminded them of the importance of respecting local traditions, and urged everyone without exception to pay the tourist levy (Foreign Tourist Levy) of 150,000 Indonesian rupiah (IDR).

The main reason for the publication was newly released statistics confirming that the current levy collection system still isn’t working.

The message is written in a distinctly respectful tone, but it still calls on visitors to take action. The Governor thanks travellers for choosing Bali for their holiday and notes that every visit contributes to the economy and the well-being of local residents.

“With the greatest respect, I invite all foreign tourists to take part in preserving Bali and boosting the competitiveness of local tourism by paying the tourist levy,” the statement says. “This contribution is recommended before arrival through the secure and reliable Love Bali system, available on the website or in the mobile app.”

Koster also stressed that the funds collected are used exclusively to protect the island’s cultural heritage and environment. In addition, the regional leader reminded foreigners that they must strictly follow the code of conduct “Dos and Don’ts in Bali” in order to maintain the status of the island paradise as a safe and spiritually rich destination.

The document includes some interesting figures:

— Total tourist arrivals in Bali have reached 7 million people.

— Of those, only 2.4 million foreign nationals have paid the levy. This means that only around 34% of all arrivals to the island are paying it.

— Although two-thirds of visitors ignore the system, Bali’s budget has already received an impressive amount — 369 billion IDR. According to the authorities, this money is allocated as transparently as possible.

The levy for foreign tourists was officially launched back in February 2024. The idea seemed logical: every foreign visitor arriving by air should pay a one-off fee of about 10 US dollars, and the proceeds would go towards tackling the waste crisis, restoring Hindu temples, and upgrading overloaded roads.

However, in practice the campaign has faced serious difficulties, which is why Bali is still missing out on huge amounts of budget revenue.

The big question for everyone is why there is no strict control at the border. On arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport, no one is required to show a QR code proving the levy has been paid.

You can get through passport control and the baggage claim area without this receipt. It’s the same on the way out. For a while, the authorities warned that proof of payment would be required when visiting tourist attractions, but in practice this is not happening.