Southeast Asia's largest economy to reform tourism on Bali

About 200,000 foreigners currently live in Bali and have created problems such as crime, over-development and competition for employment, said Mr Luhut Pandjaitan, senior minister overseeing tourism, on his Instagram page.

"Foreign tourists who bring problems here, such as narcotics, gangs and other issues, we can deport them from Indonesia, from Bali, and we don’t want them to enter Bali any more," he said, speaking in English in a video clip.

Foreign arrivals in Bali have surged since the island reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic, and videos of misbehaving tourists often go viral, angering local residents and sparking harsh responses from social media users in Indonesia.

Data from Indonesia’s statistics bureau shows that 2.9 million foreign visitors entered the island through Bali airport in the first half of 2024, accounting for 65% of Indonesia’s total foreign arrivals by air for the period.

Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said earlier in August that the government wants to avoid "a situation like Barcelona, where tourists became public enemies", national news agency Antara reported.

Mr Luhut said the government will also tackle trash problems on the island, improve infrastructure and prevent further over-development.

"We don’t want to see paddy fields become a villa or become a nude club," he said. "For us, quality is more important than numbers."

Public nudity is illegal in Indonesia and there are no strip clubs in Bali, although there are nightclubs and discos that feature in-house dancers.The government will soon announce a policy plan for reforming Bali’s tourism, Mr Luhut said.