Bali’s local authorities have announced the establishment of a new tourist task force to address disruptive visitor behavior in the Tabanan regency.
There are currently two tourism task forces operating in Bali, both sent there by the provincial government to put an end to illegal and culturally offensive activities.
The Tabanan Tourism Task Force will focus on severely punishing disrespectful and unlawful behavior in places like Tanah Lot, Mount Batu Karu, and the well-known surf spots west of Canggu, such as Nyanyi Beach, Kedugu Beach, and even as far as Balian Beach.
The special team was dispatched in response to the governor’s recent circular, number 4 of 2023, which lists a number of dos and don’ts for visitors to the island.
The Tabanan Tourism Task Force will work with police, immigration, and provincial task force officials and is composed of representatives from the tourism authority, the hotel and restaurant association, and traditional local security (pecalang).
The task force is on call to make sure that there is peace and order in the neighborhood, according to Tabanan Secretary, Gede Susila. “The point is that there are no foreign nationals doing anything unusual in Tabanan,” Susila remarked.
He mentioned that the Tabanan Tourism Task Force will be tasked with developing offline complaint services so that locals do not feel they have to use social media to report incidents.
The group will also communicate with tourism service providers in Tabanan Regency to ensure that local establishments know how to attract excellent tourists and effectively resolve any problems.
Task force officials will also keep a close eye on the most prominent tourist attractions in the region, such as Tanah Lot Temple.
In the nearby regencies of Badung and Giyanar, there have been numerous cases of inappropriate behavior by foreigners in Bali that have caused a stir.
Tourist destinations such as Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, Uluwatu and Kuta are located in the Badung administrative region. Officials in the region appear to want to be proactive as tourism develops and grows in Tabanan to prevent the emergence of disorderly conduct.
“We don’t want Tabanan to be injured; we will do it together to prevent it,” said Susila.
“Our task force will be formed as soon as possible, and this week it is clear. The chairman is still waiting for directions from the leadership (Tabanan Regent). However, we also ask the public to participate together in monitoring if there are foreign nationals who are out of character, report them immediately,” he added.