Safety is at the top of most travelers’ priority lists when considering potential vacation destinations, but tourists themselves have also been known to be the problem.
Following the release of the viral video that showcases startling violence against a local driver caused by none other than a foreign visitor to Bali, Minister for Tourism Sandi Uno issued a stern warning against such behavior to future tourists.
Taking a vacation and enjoying life a bit too far can quickly become unsafe for both tourists themselves and the locals they interact with, and Bali recently saw just one of several recent incidents involving a tourist who seems to have forgotten what appropriate behavior in a foreign country looks like. In a viral Instagram video from late January, a ride-share-using foreigner punched the local driver in the face after getting out of the vehicle.
Uno responded to this incident by warning tourists that, “there must be no tolerance if naughty tourists continue to act up. We will act firmly and in accordance with the law because this is a country of laws…we cannot tolerate it.”
Drunk tourists have long been known to cause similar incidents around the world, and the prevalence of motorbike use in the Bali area has made them another common source of problems from tourists. Minimal familiarity with proper use of these bikes combined with increasing drunkenness has resulted in reckless driving by tourists becoming another significant problem for both local and visiting drivers and pedestrians.
Unfavorable behavior from tourists across the globe is becoming unsettlingly common, but it is still important to stay vigilant about other potential general and region-specific safety concerns when visiting Bali or any other country. While Bali is generally considered to be a relatively safe place for tourists, visitors to The Last Paradise should always stay alert for changing weather and other conditions that could lead to a natural disaster, be aware of their surroundings and belongings, and avoid visiting known questionable areas to keep their vacation from becoming anything but paradise.