Australians heading to Bali will need to pay a tourist tax

Bali has officially decided to introduce a tourist tax – but it’s not as expensive as we originally thought it might be.

Bali’s tourist tax is official.

After being proposed as one of multiple changes to tourism earlier in the year, it has been decided travellers must pay 150,000 Indonesian rupiah (about $15) to enter the popular island from next year.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster said on Wednesday the fee will have to be paid electronically by all foreign tourists entering from another country or within Indonesia, the Bangkok Post reported.

He said the funds would be used for “the environment, culture and [to] build better quality infrastructure”.

The $15 tourist tax is significantly less than initially proposed, with reports in May suggesting the Indonesian Government was considering a tax between $45 and $150.

Foreign tourists will need to pay a tax to enter Bali from next year. Picture: iStock

Supporters of the tax said it would help improve the quality of tourists visiting.

Mr Koster has been extremely vocal this year with his frustration over foreigners misbehaving.

He has spoken about wanting to put a cap on tourist numbers, stopping Russian and Ukrainian tourists from being allowed to get a visa on arrival, and wants all foreign tourists banned from renting motorbikes.

In June, Mr Koster released the administration’s official dos and don’ts guidelines for international tourists.

There is a total of 20 rules — 12 under dos and eight under don’ts — and Mr Koster warned tourists who don’t abide will face severe consequences, including penalties and legal proceedings as prescribed by Indonesian law.

Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, an influential senior Indonesian politician, had also been a big supporter of the tourist tax.

In an Instagram post in April he said he requested the tax be introduced immediately and recommended Bali focus on “quality tourism” instead of “mass tourism”.

“This incentive will be very useful for financing destination development and tourism promotion, as has been implemented in several countries that have large tourism industries,” he said.

He added that Bali was cheap and had “encouraged many low-income foreign visitors to come, leading to a rise in unruly behaviour”.

Ravindra Singh Shekhawat, who is the general manager for Bali operations at Melbourne-based tour company Intrepid Travel, previously spoke to news.com.au about the crackdown on tourists.

“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 in April.

“Police have responded to this unruly behaviour by increasing routine checks on the ground, such as driver licence checks and drink and driving checks.”

Tourists not wearing helmets and disobeying road rules has been a big talking point amid the crackdown on misbehaving foreigners. Picture: Agunng Parameswara/Getty Images

Mr Singh Shekhawat said tourists must ensure they understand the local customs, traditions and 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.

Stephanie Yip, a travel expert at comparison website Finder, said good manners and respect were important no matter where you were travelling, and it was easy in Bali.

“It’s very easy to stay out of trouble and have the holiday that you’ve been dreaming of,” she said.

“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.

“For a popular destination like Bali there’s so much signage and information available regarding etiquette and customs.”

Ms Yip pointed out that the consequence of ignoring them could be a hefty fine or being kicked out of the country.