Shannon Smith has already been to Bali, but this was her first trip since the pandemic. This time, a resident of Cairns, Australia, traveled to the Indonesian “island of the gods” for a work conference in Nusa Dua, a resort on the southern tip of Bali.

As she shuttled between Nusa Dua and popular tourist areas like Kuta and Seminyak, Smith, who works in the hospitality industry, noticed a few changes. There is more traffic on the streets, fewer visitors from Asia and more Russians.

“If I wanted to hang out with drunk Aussies, I would stay at home,” Smith said.

The image of Bali, which has developed among many foreigners, is based on the 2010 film Eat Pray Love by Julia Roberts. Bali has deep green rice fields and golden sands that stretch to turquoise waters. Locals still hang out with foreigners who love beach bars. But it’s not so quiet now.

In just a year since Bali reopened to overseas travel, a surge in unruly tourist behavior has taken away some of the magic from paradise, prompting local authorities to think of new ways to deal with delinquents.

Reckless driving and social media

From the country’s capital, a senior minister recently advocated a tax on foreign tourists entering Indonesia to deter low-income visitors. The Bali Tourism Board is promoting a campaign urging travelers to be more respectful.

The local government recently proposed banning visitors from renting motorbikes to curb reckless driving, CNN reports.

Bali’s governor has proposed canceling the visa program for travelers from Russia and Ukraine, who have been arriving in greater numbers since the two countries have been at war.

Last week, immigration officials announced they had deported a Russian who posted a photo on social media of himself standing on top of Mount Agung, a Hindu holy site, with his pants down.

In the midst of all this, tourists complained that the roosters were bothering them in the local area. The latest incident has baffled Bali-born Mega Bintarani, Southeast Asia product manager for Rainforest Cruises.

“How can you complain about this? We cannot control the chickens,” she said. “When you decide to live in the countryside, you have to put up with the noise,” he added.

Hypertourism

Bali is part of a growing number of popular tourist destinations that have been affected by overtourism. Hawaii is considering a bill to dissolve the state-sponsored tourism marketing agency. Amsterdam is trying to reduce violent tourist behavior, while Italian authorities have fined tourists in Rome, Florence and Venice for littering, camping, vandalism and traffic violations.

Like Hawaii, Amsterdam and Italy, Bali is fed up with tourists who don’t break the law but show little respect for local life.

The head of the Bali government’s tourism department told the Washington Post that Balinese culture is a source of happiness for locals, so “of course they will be angry when they see that foreigners do not respect it: by destroying their culture, they are destroying life.” their”.

Justin Smith, owner of luxury travel agency Evolved Traveler, admits that Bali has been known for decades as a “bohemian destination” where foreigners can behave and dress as they please.

“Up to a certain point it was acceptable, but now things are out of control,” Smith said. “There is a complete lack of respect for the destination and that Bali has been brought to the point where it means this bad behavior is widespread.”

Digital nomads and Russian nannies

Bali has a digital nomad admission program, but the so-called “second home visa” comes with a number of requirements, including proof of savings equivalent to almost $129,000. The disappointment of the locals is not with this particular category, as it seems, but with those who offer the same services as the locals.

A typical example is a banned satirical Instagram account. There Russians – mostly – advertise swimming lessons, haircuts, surf lessons, tattoos, yoga lessons and villa rentals. In his profile description, there is a link to a website where people can report labor law issues to the Indonesian government.

“They brag about it,” one woman told the Washington Post. “What’s really crazy is that they take on jobs like babysitting, renting motorbikes. Can you imagine them taking jobs from the locals? Babysitters?

Source: Washington Post.