Australian visitors to Bali are being warned that the Indonesian island could erupt in anti-tourism protests by locals, following demonstrations in European holiday destinations.
There is widespread public unrest in Bali due to inappropriate behavior by tourists and violations of visa regulations.
Local governments in European tourist magnet cities such as Venice, Amsterdam and Barcelona have introduced stricter rules and taxes for tourists in recent years.
Residents of those areas have become increasingly angry because their accommodation is overpriced and because public areas are being overrun by hordes of tourists.
On July 6, residents of Barcelona were caught shooting water pistols at tourists eating outside. In the Canary Islands, which are under Spanish rule, mass protests took place against the large influx of tourists.
Now a travel expert is warning that Australians’ favourite overseas holiday destination could face similar unrest.
“There is a real possibility that local people will express their frustrations with tourists directly and indicate that they would rather tourists do other things or go somewhere else,” said Quentin Long, managing director of Australian Traveller Media. Yahoo reported.
But IndonesiaThe Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, told the press on July 17 that such European-style protests have no place on the ‘Island of the Gods’, The Balinese sun reported.
Australians are warned that European-style protests against tourism on the island are possible (pictured: tourists in Sanur, Bali)
Bali’s tourism minister wants tourists to spread out more across the island, but doesn’t want locals to protest against visitors (pictured are tourists visiting Bali’s Pura Batu temple)
“Such things should not happen in Bali. Because if people feel uncomfortable with the presence of tourists, nasty excesses will occur,” he said.
‘Tourism is actually one of the economic engines in Bali.’
To reduce hostility between local communities and tourists, Minister Uno wants to spread tourism more evenly.
The minister wants new roads to be built quickly ‘so that tourists are not only concentrated in South Bali, but also in West Bali’.
The misconduct of some tourists should also be addressed immediately, Mr Uno believes.
‘Tourists who come to Indonesia should adjust their goals. If you deviate from your goals [of tourism activities] – For example [by working here – action must be taken,’ he said.
Mr Long noted that although the Balinese authorities do not want local citizens to protest, it does not mean they won’t take to the streets to speak out against over-tourism.
‘There’s been a lot of disrespectful behaviour in Bali. You get people not being dressed appropriately in temples or taking inappropriate selfies,’ he said.
Protesters in Barcelona, Spain squirted water guns at foreign tourists along Las Ramblas and the city centre, which the Spanish government has condemned (pictured)
Locals in Barcelona protested on July 6 about how tourists have driven up housing prices and they could no longer afford to live in the city (pictured, the tourist hotspot of Las Ramblas)
‘Having too many cocktails and being basically drunk and treating locals disrespectfully. Driving while intoxicated on mopeds, you name it, it happens in Bali.’
In Europe, protests by fed-up tourists were prompted by the unaffordability of housing in cities due to homes being converted to short-term lets listed on platforms like Airbnb, while local cafes and restaurants jack up prices to levels that only free-spending tourists will pay.
In Barcelona, locals marched through the busy tourist avenue of Las Ramblas and the city centre, chanting ‘tourists go home’, with some surrounding popular restaurants.
A group of about 12 squirted water pistols at people they thought were foreign tourists which was condemned by the Spanish Government.
Spain’s Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu Boher said the protesters didn’t ‘represent the country’s culture of hospitality,’ reported Reuters.
Venice too has seen considerable resentment against huge numbers of tourists, with a proposal to double the tax on hotel stays to 10 euros per night, and an access fee to the city is also charged in popular periods.
