Indonesia sets record straight for Aussie tourists on big Bali concern
Indonesia has cleared up a huge rumour about Bali – with a warning for Aussie travellers.
A big rumour that tourists will no longer be able to rent motorbikes in Bali has been circulating for more than seven months.
The “motorbike ban” or “scooter ban” first made global headlines in March after Bali’s governor Wayan Koster told media that unruly tourists had prompted changes that would see foreigners only allowed to rent cars from travel agents.
It was understood he had asked the Indonesian legal ministry to enact the ban.
But when news.com.au asked Indonesia’s Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Made Ayu Marthini during her visit to Melbourne on Sunday whether the ban was going to happen, she said there was no flat out ban but rather stricter rules being enforced – meaning it will likely become harder for Australians to rent a motorbike in Bali.
“If you ride a motorbike, just as in Australia, you should have a helmet and a license for your safety as well as that of other motorists,” Mrs Marthini said, referring to the country’s plea for tourists to respect its local laws and customs.
As for the crackdown on motorbikes, she explained “the laws have always existed, but we [are] just proceeding to push the enforcement of these laws”.
“This is for tourist safety as well as that of our Indonesian community,” she said.
“The laws do not ban tourists from renting scooters, only from renting them from unauthorised rental operators. The Indonesian government has provided a list of authorised rental operators for tourists to select from across Indonesia.”
The proposed motorbike ban was one of a series of new measures flagged or actually introduced this year to control tourism in Bali.
Authorities have released an official tourist dos and don’ts list and established a hotline for anyone to dob in misbehaving travellers, as well as a special task force to monitor foreigners’ activities.
From February 14, international travellers will need to pay a IDR 150,000 tourist tax, which is about $15.
The Indonesian government is urging Australians to consider exploring more of the country beyond Bali and has named five potential “tourist hot spots” they want to drive international tourists to, instead of crowding the popular holiday island.
They are Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Borodudur, Lake Toba and Likupang.
“We want Australians to see beyond Bali and create interest around the rest of Indonesia, showcasing the best of the country to Australian tourists that wouldn’t have previously known about,” Mrs Marthini told news.com.au.
“We believe tourism creates jobs and with 17,000 islands in Indonesia, we want to spread the opportunity around our beautiful country.”
The coastal town of Labuan Bajo on Indonesia’s Flores Island is the “next big thing after Bali”, according to Mrs Marthini.
She is also a big fan of the remote island of Sumba, which she said a lot more Australians are now visiting.
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