Bali tourist slammed for removing ‘closed to visitors’ sign | Video

A tourist riding a scooter has been criticised online for completely flouting rules and regulations in place in Bali to keep locals safe.

A scooter-riding tourist visiting the popular island of Bali has been shamed on social media for completely disregarding the closure of the popular Karang Boma Cliff in Pecatu, South Kuta.

The “closed for visitors” sign, which was erected at the cliff in response to Indonesia’s fight against COVID-19, reflects a wider stance of all beaches and tourist attractions in Bali being closed until the end of May due to coronavirus.

But one tourist, who is not identified in the viral video, has been criticised for completely disregarding the sign.

Riding his scooter up to the sign, he moves it out of the way before jumping back on his bike and proceeding towards the entry point to Karang Boma Cliff.

The video has been posted to several Indonesian-based community accounts including “Denpasar Viral”, with many questioning why tourists were still on the island given ongoing instruction for foreigners to return to their homeland.

“Return them to their home country, they don’t understand the rules and are only making things hard for us.” one caption read.

“Be a little more strict, even if you reprimand them they will continue the same thing, there’s not a stop to it.”

The video follows another post that went viral earlier this month that showed a group of tourists in Bali who held a rowdy birthday party at a luxury villa and ignored social-distancing measures.

The group was reportedly celebrating a 21st birthday, which stirred uproar among locals who have lost their incomes due to dwindling tourism dollars on the island.

The 21-year-old, from Egypt, later apologised for the party, but locals said the damage was already done and that they should be forced to leave the island.

Beaches are closed in Bali, but that hasn’t stopped the few tourists who are still on the island from flouting the rules. Picture: AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

As Indonesia continues the battle to reduce the coronavirus spread, the popular tourist island of Bali has another battle on its hands.

Having seen an almost 100 per cent drop in foreign tourist arrivals in April, Bali Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Sukawati said the island was one of the regions hardest hit by the pandemic in Indonesia.

Bali receives more than 60 per cent of its gross regional product from tourism, and other areas including agriculture – which once supplied all the hotels with fresh produce – have also taken a hit.

Bali alone has recorded a drop of more than 93 per cent in tourist numbers in April. Picture: Sonny Tumbelaka / AFP

The Jakata Post reported that the potential losses experienced by the tourism, conferencing and exhibition sectors in Bali were estimated to be more than Rp 9 billion ($A902,430); however, the Indonesian Tourist Industry Association Bali chairman said the low number of COVID-19 cases in Bali compared with other regions would help the sector rebound once the pandemic was over.