Bali Governor to Close Illegal Chinese Shops, Without Worries About Impact on Tourism
Governor Bali, Wayan Koster, has instructed municipal police to shut down illegal Chinese shops and says he doesn’t worry if this affects Bali’s tourism.
The subject of “zero dollar tourism” has been a hot topic since Koster took office this year after the Indonesian Association of Tours and Travel (ASITA) Bali revealed that Bali was being “undersold” to Chinese tourists.
The organization found that tour agents racking up clients in China have been selling 5 day/4 night vacation packages, including roundtrip airfare and accommodation for just IDR600k (US$41). Moreover, tourists in these groups hardly spend any money in Bali on their holidays, shopping at Chinese-owned shops, staffed with Chinese employees, working without the correct visa, Bali Province found in their investigation.
In the against on “zero dollar tourism,” Kostes stated 16 shops have been found in Badung Regency to be operating without the proper licenses.
The governor says he’s made the firm decision to close the businesses which are carrying out this unhealthy practice because they have had a negative impact on Bali tourism as a whole. In addition, he’s not concerned about this possibly causing a decline in Chinese tourists coming to Bali.
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July 26, 2020