Bali wants $70 ‘tourist tax’ on Australians

That quick getaway to Bali could soon cost you a little more, with the government of the popular Indonesian holiday region seeking to raise the current $15 (IDR150,000) ‘foreign tourist tax’ to $70 (IDR750,000).
The $15 levy, introduced in February 2024, was intended to fund tourism initiatives and support the local Balinese community.
However, according to the BaliDiscovery website, the collection of this fee “has been plagued by inefficiency, with only a minority of foreign visitors actually paying.”
Alongside a push for the immigration service at Bali’s Denpasar International Airport to become more active in collecting the tax, the hike from $15 to $75 is also “seen as necessary to enhance the overall quality of visitors to the Island and address issues of poor behaviour and public order disruption.”
“I think Rp 150,000 tax is too low, so Bali seems like a cheap tourist destination,” said Bali Regional Legislative Council lawmaker Gede Komang Kresna Budi. “Why should Bali be sold cheaply?”
The proposed increase in the tourism tax would deter the lower end of the tourism market, Kresna Budi reasons.
He said the additional revenue generated by the higher tourist tax rate should be fed into Bali’s education and health sectors but also go towards the creation of an arm of the local police force “that specifically handles tourism issues.”
Meanwhile, there’s been no movement on plans to drop Indonesia‘s $50 visa-on-arrival program for Australians, flagged in December 2023, to encourage tourism and boost the local economy.
That move would see Bali and the rest of the country return to the largely visa-free travel model introduced in 2016 but later abandoned as part of Indonesia’s post-pandemic recovery plan.
Under current rules, travellers from Australia and 23 other countries must apply for a visa on arrival – such as when they land at Bali’s Denpasar airport – and pay a $50 fee for the 30-day visa.
Are you bound for Bali? Don’t miss our list of the best luxury hotels in Bali – including the family-friendly Mulia, which is like three resorts in one along a kilometre of Nusa Dua beachfront.