The paradise island of Bali in Indonesia is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places on Earth and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the globe too.
Previously, we shared how international tourists visiting the island, including those from Malaysia, must now pay a tourism tax of IDR150,000 or RM45 every time they enter the island.
Foreign tourists visiting Bali may soon be charged 2 separate tourism taxes
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Now, it looks like foreign tourists visiting the island will have to pay ANOTHER tourism tax on top of the one introduced by the Bali Provincial Government, this time a tourism tax by the Central Indonesian Government.
This new tax is currently in its planning stage and would be charged to all foreign tourists visiting Indonesia, regardless of the location.
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As reported by Indonesia-based publication Nusa Bali, the plan is still in its early stages but Indonesian officials are confident that the initiative would help generate more funds for tourism development in the Republic.
According to the report, the Indonesian Central Government is planning to charge the new tourism tax through flight tickets, though the exact amount being charged is still unknown.
Bali tourism players raise concerns about double taxes for foreign tourists
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After the Indonesian Central Government’s plans were made known, tourism industry players in Bali have raised concerns that the new tax may deter tourists from visiting the island as they’re essentially being charged 2 tourism taxes.
Chairman of the Badung Hotel and Restaurant Association, I Gusti Agung Rai Suryawijaya said that more discussions must be made before implementing the new national tourism tax.
While he wasn’t against the introduction of the new tax, he urged for the fees to be synchronised with Bali, meaning that there’s only one tourism tax, with the distribution of the tax collected to the Bali Provincial Government being proportional to the number of tourists visiting Bali.
I Gusti Agung Rai Suryawijaya
So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Would being charged 2 separate tourism taxes deter you from visiting Bali? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
