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How to fix paradise after Bali’s tourism boom and unsavoury turn towards vice
The surge in tourism, along with the rise in vice activity, has dented the destination’s reputation.
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If Bali is to remain worthy of its old glory and continue to attract visitors, the island will need to make deliberate choices, says the writer.
PHOTO: EPA
- Bali faces unsustainable tourism due to overcrowding, strained infrastructure in the south, and a rise in drugs and vice, diminishing its reputation.
- Bali is trying to shift from volume to value by implementing increased police raids, potential financial checks, and a focus on “higher-quality” tourists.
- To restore Bali, the island needs to rebalance growth by spreading tourism to the north and east, and restoring culture to the tourism model.
AI generated
On a trip to Bali in August, what should have been a 30-minute drive to my hotel in Nusa Dua stretched to more than an hour, as traffic crawled along roads not built for such volumes.
“It’s getting worse every year,” said my driver Erlan, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name. “Even Jakarta feels more predictable than this now.”
