Balinese authorities have created a specialist task force to crack down on poor behaviour by foreign tourists following the resumption of international travel to the iconic holiday island.
The task force has been set up in response to a spate of recent incidents involving tourists which have been viewed as disrespectful to both Balinese culture and the local community.
According to the director general of immigration, 620 foreigners were deported from Indonesia in the first three months of this year. Reasons included foreigners misusing visas and overstaying residence permits, disrupting public order, misbehaving and not complying with Indonesian regulations.
Bali’s governor has flagged a proposed ban on tourists using motorbikes and has requested Russian and Ukrainian tourists no longer be allowed to obtain visas on arrival in Indonesia.
Locals are becoming increasingly fed up with the behaviour of Russians, in particular, following a series of offensive acts, including public nudity and drunkenness but also more serious crimes such as drug trafficking, extortion and gang-related violence.
Much of the recent influx consists of Russian men who have fled their country to avoid being enlisted in Putin’s war on Ukraine.
Two weeks ago a Russian blogger was deported after video emerged of him baring his buttocks at the peak of Bali’s holiest mountain, Mt Agung.
And, in the latest deportation case to hit the headlines – a Russian influencer who was arrested in her Bali villa this week over a nude picture taken at a 700 year old sacred tree. The image was uploaded to Instagram two years ago but only recently went viral on Balinese social media, as the issue of Russians behaving badly came to a head.
While some argue that bad behavior has always been a problem and that more incidences are now simply being caught on camera, others feel like incidences of disrespect by foreigners are skyrocketing.
Many have taken to social media to vent their concerns, while others have approached the media to appeal to foreigners in Bali to do better.
Ravindra Singh Shekhawat, an Australian tour operator who moved to Bali last year, says that by his observation only a “very small” percentage of tourists behave in an unruly manner, but recently, that percentage was increasing.
“Recently there has been an increase in tourists not following the local laws and respecting local culture and traditions, including instances of tourists getting into heated arguments with local police for not wearing helmets or breaking traffic laws,” he said.
“Police have responded to this unruly behaviour by increasing their routine checks on the ground, such as driver licence checks and drink driving checks.”
Singh Shekhawat said tourists must ensure they understand the local customs, traditions and local laws before they visit to avoid trouble.
“Bali is a perfect place for a holiday with family, friends, and even solo, but travellers must understand the rules and act accordingly,” he warned.
Online travel expert, Stephanie Yip says good manners and respect are important no matter where you were travelling, and it was easy in Bali.
“Before you leave home, look up etiquette rules and local laws for your holiday destination. When you’re at a tourist attraction, don’t ignore the signage. It’s there to guide you on what is and isn’t permitted. If you’re renting a car or motorcycle, look up the road rules before you drive off to avoid any unnecessary fines or accidents.
Hotel workers are being instructed to educate foreign guests on what they can and can’t do. Large billboards are expected to be installed in coming weeks as part of the official campaign. There is also talk of imposing a tax on tourists.
Meanwhile, an official at Bali Airport has been accused of extorting a Taiwanese tourist who took a photo on his phone while queueing at customs.
Although taking photos in restricted areas of Indonesian airports is strictly prohibited, the tourist claims he had arrived in Bali for a holiday and took out his phone to capture the long wait to share with the driver picking his group up.
He says that a customs officer approached him and took him to a small, dark room for interrogation at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar.
He was allegedly told he would be sent back to his home country, before the official said the other option was a $US4000 fine.
The tourist says he pretended he didn’t have the money and haggled the cost down to $US270.
He alleged the officer then instructed him not to tell anyone.
In a statement on Thursday, the Indonesian Ministry of Finance’s Directorate General of Customs and Excise said it did not believe the alleged extortion took place in the customs area of the airport.
Head of the Sub-Directorate of Public Relations and Customs Counselling, Hatta Wardhana, said taking photos in the limited area of the airport regulated by law is not part of the authority of customs, and repatriation is not the authority of customs either.
In response to a tweet claiming the alleged extortion was done by immigration officers, not customs officers, the official Twitter account of the Immigration Office said it was investigating.
Source – The Bali Sun, ABC News Australia, The New Zealand Herald, News.com.au.