Double Charges: Malaysian Travelers to Bali Could Face Bali Tax and Indonesian Tourism Tax Soon

Foreign tourists visiting Bali may soon be facing double the tourism taxes as the Central Indonesian Government plans to introduce a new tax on top of the existing one imposed by the Bali Provincial Government. This new tax, currently in the planning stage, will be charged to all foreign tourists visiting Indonesia, regardless of their location.

The Indonesian officials believe that this initiative will help generate more funds for tourism development in the Republic. The exact amount of the new tax, which will be charged through flight tickets, is still unknown.

However, this move has raised concerns among tourism industry players in Bali. They fear that the imposition of two separate tourism taxes may deter tourists from visiting the island. Chairman of the Badung Hotel and Restaurant Association, I Gusti Agung Rai Suryawijaya, emphasized the need for more discussions before implementing the new national tourism tax.

While he is not against the introduction of the new tax, Suryawijaya suggested that the fees should be synchronized with Bali’s existing tax. This would mean having only one tourism tax, with the distribution of the collected tax being proportional to the number of tourists visiting Bali.

The debate over the new tax continues, with stakeholders and tourists alike expressing their concerns and opinions on the matter. Would the prospect of paying two separate tourism taxes discourage you from visiting Bali? Share your thoughts in the comments!