Jakarta – Bali, plagued by overtourism, mounting waste issues, and the potential loss of its cultural identity, has been listed as a destination unfit to visit by 2025 according to Fodor’s. Rahmi Fajar Harini, cofounder of Ecotourism Bali, emphasized the urgent need for equitable distribution of tourists across the island.
Rahmi expressed no surprise at this assessment, agreeing that Fodor’s evaluation reflects the reality on the ground.
“Bali is vast, with nine regencies, but the southern region—from Kuta, Seminyak, westward to Tabanan—is densely populated by both residents and tourists. This has worsened since the introduction of digital nomad tourism. That area is clearly experiencing overtourism,” Rahmi explained in an interview with detikTravel on Thursday (November 28, 2024).
“Waste is piling up uncontrollably, groundwater resources are depleting, and excessive land conversions are erasing green zones. Congestion is rampant—it’s all real,” she added.
She acknowledged that southern Bali is overcrowded due to the concentration of tourists. She urged the Bali government to respond swiftly with measures to distribute tourists more evenly across the island.
Rahmi warned that unplanned development aimed at diverting tourists from southern Bali to the northern regions could backfire. She advocated for a master plan focused on sustainable tourism for northern Bali.
“The damage done in southern Bali is a glaring example. It is now critical to develop Bali in ways that avoid the mistakes made in the south by emphasizing quality tourism. Careless reduction of green zones must stop. Spatial planning should reflect genuine commitment, not opportunism. Learn from what happened in the south,” she urged.
Rahmi also highlighted that zoning changes have caused Bali to become overly dependent on tourism. In the past, Bali’s local government revenue (APBD) was also supported by agriculture and fisheries.
“Several major events have shown how fragile Bali’s dependence on tourism is. The Bali bombings, COVID-19, and natural disasters like volcanic eruptions have left the island paralyzed because it relies solely on tourism. Even minor bad news about Bali can halt income, as there are no alternative revenue sources,” Rahmi said.
“During the pandemic, we learned that it’s unsustainable for Bali to rely solely on tourism. It’s time to restore its earlier economic balance with agriculture and fisheries,” she emphasized.
On a social level, overtourism and centralized development in southern Bali have also negatively impacted rural youth. Rahmi noted that the number of villages in other areas is dwindling as more young people opt to migrate to urbanized tourist hubs like Seminyak, Kuta, Legian, Jimbaran, Benoa, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, and Pecatu.
“They choose to move to southern Bali, drawn by a different lifestyle. Yet, Bali is renowned worldwide for its cultural identity,” she noted.
Rahmi also stressed the urgent need for Bali to enhance its public transportation infrastructure, both in terms of fleet size and route coverage, as well as to address waste management and the island’s overall capacity to accommodate tourists sustainably.
Source: detikTravel.