As a tourist hotspot, the island of Bali is inundated with hotels, resorts and villas. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/iuneWind
Indonesia has announced plans to suspend the construction of new
hotels, villas and nightclubs in some areas on Bali, as the popular
resort island of Bali grapples with overtourism and overdevelopment.
Coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister Luhut
Pandjaitan has said there isn’t a concrete timeline for the proposed
moratorium, but the decision could stretch on to 10 years depending on
the government’s decision.
These comments follow a suggestion made last week by the island’s
interim governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya to suspend construction in
Bali’s busiest areas of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan.
Some 2.9 million foreign visitors arrived through Bali airport in the
first half of the year, making up 65% of total foreign arrivals in
Indonesia by air, according to government figures.
There were 541 hotels in Bali last year, an increase from 507 in 2019.