Environmental Groups Call for Tourism Development Review in Bali as Foreign Arrivals Rise 15.34%

Bali Post's September 23 edition covered several stories affecting Bali's tourism sector and society.

Three environmental groups—Frontier-Bali, Public Enemy, and Walhi Bali—issued a joint call for a review and moratorium on tourism development in Bali, citing growing ecological pressure from the island's rapid tourism growth and calling for 'ecological justice' in how development is managed.

Separately, Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism addressed concerns over a noticeable increase in hotel and accommodation listings for sale on property platforms across Bali. Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Puspa said such sales reflect normal business dynamics rather than industry decline, noting that foreign tourist arrivals to Bali have actually grown by 15.34% year-on-year.

Other items in the edition included an update that a Bali provincial incentive program for families using the traditional names 'Nyoman' and 'Ketut' remains in a data verification stage, the national parliament's approval of an Agrarian Reform Bill, and news that the Denpasar Prosecutor's Office has escalated an investigation into alleged BPJS Kesehatan (national health insurance) fraud involving fictitious claims, following witness interviews including hospital staff.