Tourists could soon be banned from some mountains in Bali after a string of incidents involving misbehaving visitors, according to the island’s governor.
Wayan Koster said the rule has been brought in with “immediate effect”, which rules out activities such as hiking and mountain climbing for both international and domestic tourists, reports CNN.
Some 22 mountains are covered by the decision, including Mount Batur and Mount Agung, which are both popular landmarks.
“These mountains are sacred and revered. If their sanctity is damaged, it is the same as degrading the sacredness of Bali,” said Mr Koster, who has been governor of Bali since 2018 and first suggested the ban earlier this year.
Local residents will also be stopped from certain activities, but Mr Koster said they’d be allowed on the mountains for “religious ceremonies or the handling of natural disasters.”
There’s been no indication of what the punishment might be for those who break the rules, but Bali has previously deported and banned foreigners from returning when they’ve caused problems.
Despite the proclamation from Bali’s governor, tourism minister Sandiaga Unoi said that the proposal was “still being discussed” with regional officials. The local parliament will need to approve any decision.
The Independent has contacted Bali Tourism Board for further information.
The Indonesian island has been grappling with overtourism and unruly travellers for a number of years. Last month, officials mulled the introduction of a tourist tax to deter “cheap tourists who tend to cause a lot of problems”.
Back in 2019, Mr Koster called for authorities to just “send them home” after an Instagram influencer couple were filmed splashing themselves with holy water at a temple.
Earlier this year, a Russian man apologised after posing semi-naked on a sacred site, and in a separate incident, a Russian woman who posed nude for photos in front of a sacred tree was deported.
The Bali Tourism Board previously announced it was considering measures to improve the behaviour of visitors, with ideas including a tourist handbook, as well as billboards explaining what was considered acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.
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