Bali cracks down on ‘misbehaving’ tourists with strict new rules

Bali has introduced a set of new guidelines aimed at curbing ‘misbehaviour’ among tourists. 

Authorities say the measures are designed to protect the island’s cultural integrity and sacred sites.

The strict rules include dressing appropriately when visiting religious sites and prohibiting menstruating women from entering sacred temple areas.

Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, outlined the new regulations tourists must follow on March 24.

He warned that anyone caught breaking these rules could face legal consequences under Indonesian law.

‘We issued a similar regulation before, but as things change, we need to adapt. This ensures that Bali’s tourism remains respectful, sustainable and in harmony with our local values,’ he said.

‘I am implementing this circular as an immediate measure to regulate foreign tourists while they are in Bali.’

The rules have been outlined by Love Bali, an organisation set up by the Bali government aimed at enforcing new policies.

Under the new regulations, foreign visitors must respect sacred sites and symbols, dress appropriately in public spaces, and behave respectfully whether at religious sites, restaurants, shopping areas, or public roads.

They are also required to pay the mandatory tourist levy and use licensed tour guides when exploring cultural or natural sites.

The new regulations also outline seven things tourists are not allowed to do. 

Foreign visitors are not permitted to ‘enter sacred temple areas unless they are worshippers wearing traditional Balinese attire’.

The directive also states that ‘menstruating women are also prohibited from entering these areas’.

Single-use plastics and littering or polluting the environment—such as throwing waste into lakes, rivers, or the ocean—are prohibited.

Additionally, tourists have been warned against engaging in aggressive or disrespectful behaviour. This includes swearing, causing disturbances, or being rude to local officials or fellow visitors.

As part of the new guidelines, ‘Tourists who fail to pay the tourist levy will be denied access to attractions, and those caught violating the regulations will face legal consequences in accordance with Indonesian law’. 

Governor Koster’s announcement of the new guidelines comes just days before Nyepi – Bali’s sacred Day of Silence- which falls on Saturday, March 29 this year.

During the 24-hour period from 6 am Saturday to 6 am on Sunday, everyone, including tourists, must remain indoors.

Bali has been grappling with the consequences of overtourism for years. In 2024, the island welcomed 6.3 million international tourists, surpassing its pre-pandemic peak of 6.28 million in 2019.

Numerous reports have emerged about tourists misbehaving. In 2023, authorities considered introducing a tourism tax to discourage ‘cheap tourists who cause a lot of problems.’

In 2019, after influencers were caught splashing holy water on themselves at a temple, Governor Koster proposed that authorities should simply ‘send them home’.

More recently, in 2023, a Russian man was deported after posing semi-nude at a sacred site, while a Russian woman was also deported for taking a nude photo in front of a sacred tree.

It’s not the only destination battling overtourism – the number of places pushing back against mass tourism seems to be growing daily.

Last year, Barcelona locals resorted to using water guns to deter rowdy tourists, Venice introduced a controversial day-tripper tax, and hundreds of thousands of locals across Europe took to the streets to protest the damaging effects of mass tourism.

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