How Over Tourism is Ruining Bali

International Office, Udayana University – https://international.unud.ac.id/pages/about-bali

Bali, a small island in Indonesia, has always been the country’s biggest tourist attracting area due to its natural beauty, unique culture and accessibility for tourists. But there is also one big factor in its large tourist population: its cheap prices. People from western countries find Bali much more affordable, due to its low costs of living. This is the key aspect that gets foreigners from around the world coming to the island. However, with this growing economy comes the inevitable consequences that come for Bali.

Bali was once a much more green island, with so many beautiful and natural sights all around. That was what attracted tourists in the first place. Bali is a place that many tourists take advantage of. Well, with low prices like that and how peaceful it is, why wouldn’t they? But as more came along, overtourism became a huge problem, especially in the topic of environmental damage. So many foreigners who come to Bali disregard the need to maintain the nature of its beauty. Only in 2024 did the Balinese have to implement a head tax on tourists, a suggestion given by US president Theodore Roosevelt back in 1930. A big issue that leads to over tourism in Bali is how it is advertised as a cheap tourist destination. Sure the prices might sound extremely good for a guy from the UK, but those same prices could sound high for a native in Bali. The heightened amounts of tourists leads to increased needs for resources, the straining use of resources. As well as the amount of trash the tourists alone leave, the strain of plastic pollution. The high mountains of waste will keep adding up and damaging the natural ecosystems of the island.

If over tourism continues to overtake Bali, the locals might as well just enjoy its beauty while they still can. As they say, “where is the Bali I grew up in?”

Guzman, Chad D. "Can Bali Solve Its Tourist Dilemma?" TIME, 28 Mar. 2025, time.com/7272442/bali-overtourism-tourist-tax-behavior-rules-foreign-visitors-economy-indonesia/. Accessed 8 May 2025.

Perkins, Rob. "Overtourism in Bali." Responsible Travel, www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/bali/travel-guide/overtourism. Accessed 8 May 2025.