The Bali government has announced an immediate ban on all activities on its mountains, including mountain climbing and hiking, for foreign and domestic tourists following violations by misbehaving tourists.
‘These mountains are sacred and revered,’ Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster said at a news conference. ‘If their sanctity is damaged, it is the same as degrading the sacredness of Bali.
‘This ban is in effect forever and is not only for foreign tourists but also domestic tourists and local residents.’
The Bali government has had no problem cracking down on tourism misbehaviour, having already banned foreign tourists from renting motorbikes to crack down on bad behaviour.
The new rules will apply to Bali’s 22 mountains, which have been closed indefinitely for climbers.
A Russian tourist was deported from Bali in April and barred from entering for at least six months after he took a semi-nude photo on Mount Agung, Bali’s highest peak and considered a sacred religious site.
Koster outlined the rare occasions when people would be allowed to conduct activities on mountains, which involved religious ceremonies or disaster management, emphasising that they are ‘not for tourism activities’.
‘Very few foreigners have climbed the mountain, mostly [domestic tourists]… Compared to income and risk, if Bali’s continues to decrease, the purity of Bali declines, and then the attractiveness of Bali will follow suit. If Bali’s attractiveness decreases, the logic is that in the future, people who will visit Bali will decrease,’ the governor added.Picture: Getty
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