Governor announces tourist activity on all Bali mountains is outlawed as part of clampdown.
Travellers heading to Bali and planning a sightseeing trip to one of the country’s 22 peaks will have to think again after a blanket ban on all mountain tourism was announced.
The move is part of a number of new rules coming in for holidaymakers to the idyllic spot in Indonesia, a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ in response to numerous incidents of holidaymakers treating locations seen as sacred on the island with disrespect: public displays of nudity are regularly posted on social media as well as stunts performed that in extreme cases have led to deaths.
In an unprecedented move, Governor Wayan Koster announced that all activity on the island’s mountains is outlawed, saying: “This [ban] is in effect forever and local regulations will be issued to regulate everything. [The ban is] not only for foreign tourists but is including domestic tourists and local residents.”
The ban will be lifted in only very specific circumstances, with the announcement that no-one can access the mountains “unless there are religious ceremonies or disaster management and special activities that are not for tourism activities”.
The news will come as blow to tourist businesses on the island, hitting a number of communities and small operations that depend on mountain activities for their income.
The mountain ban was announced shortly after it was revealed that the island authorities are considering introducing a limit on the number of visitors who can arrive each year, an application process one of the routes contemplated to root out what are seen as undesirable visitors: the island prioritising ‘quality’ tourism rather than ‘quantity’.
Bali has a population of 4.3million but in the year before Covid hit (2019), there were 6.3 million visitors, with travellers now issued with ‘how to behave’ guidelines: tourists are urged to dress appropriately, behave at religious sites, and respect the customs and culture of the Balinese people.
