KUALA LUMPUR – Foreigners visiting Bali will have to pay a new 150,000 rupiah (RM44.90) tourism tax when they visit the popular Indonesian tourist destination, from February 14 onwards.
The new tax, which was announced by Bali tourism chief Tjok Bagus Pemayun in September of last year, will apply to visitors of mainland Bali and its surrounding islands, including Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.
According to a report by the Straits Times, island-hoppers from Bali to the nearby localities of Lombok and Gili, which lie outside Bali province, will have to pay another 150,000 rupiah when they return to Bali.
Tourists, including children, arriving in Bali from other parts of Indonesia via land or domestic flights will also reportedly have to pay the tax.
According to a posting by Wonderful Indonesia, the nation’s official social media account for its Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, the levy is aimed at “preserving Bali’s rich customs, wisdom and nature in the frame of sustainability.”
Visitors are also strongly advised to make payment via the Love Bali website or app before arriving on the island.
The posting also said that exemptions apply to several groups of people, including diplomatic and official visa holders, conveyance crew, limited or permanent stay permit cardholders, family unification, golden and student visa holders, as well as specific non-tourist visa holders.
Those who qualify for the exemption, excluding conveyance crew, will have to apply for the exemption on the Love Bali app one month before arrival.
In a government notice posted on the Love Bali website, a levy voucher will be sent to Bali tourists’ email after payment is made. The voucher will then have to be scanned at checkpoints on the island. – February 6, 2024