Infrastructure improvements and promotion of lesser-known destinations are among the steps being taken by Indonesian travel and tourism players to tackle overcrowding in hotspots like Bali.
Within Bali alone, the spread of tourists has been uneven, with a strong concentration in South Bali, which comprises Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Jimbaran, Benoa, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu and Pecatu.
More travellers are visiting areas such as Lovina for one-day dolphin-watching tours
Wayan Suena, president director of Indonesia Impression, noted that hotels in South Bali are usually fully booked, while hotels in the north, east and west suffer low demand. He believes that demand can be spread out to the other regions of Bali by improving access.
To disperse travellers to other parts of Bali, the Bali Tourism Office is improving tourism hardware and infrastructure. “We are repairing the Besakih Temple; building an international theme park with Paramount Pictures in Jembrana, West Bali; completing the Singaraja-Denpasar shortcut access; and continuing construction of the toll road in West Bali,” detailed Tjok Bagus Pemayun, head of the Bali Tourism Office.
Wayan said the Singaraja-Denpasar shortcut access development has already yielded positive results – more visitors are taking one-day tours to Sekumpul waterfall and the Lovina area in Singaraja.
“More agents are also selling one-day tours for dolphin-watching in Lovina,” he added.
Beyond Bali, Wita Tour is promoting itineraries such as Bangka-Belitung, and will create tours to Komodo, Sumba and places in Sumatera.
Addressing the woe of overtourism, Dwi Nugraha, world product manager, Pacto DMC, said areas like Bali’s Canggu and Ubud were often congested due to improper traffic management, not overtourism.
“It is important to carefully assess each area and the reasons behind the high tourist numbers before labelling (the issue) as overtourism,” Dwi warned.
Meanwhile, she is hopeful that road improvements will connect all Bali regions so travellers can easily access areas such as Pemuteran, Amed, and Munduk, thus easing the burden of crowds on South Bali.
David Putrawan, sales and marketing manager of Wita Tour, opined that improved infrastructure could be a double-edged sword. With easier access, more people would visit a destination and give rise to potential overtourism.
Infrastructure improvements and promotion of lesser-known destinations are among the steps being taken by Indonesian travel and tourism players to tackle overcrowding in hotspots like Bali.
Within Bali alone, the spread of tourists has been uneven, with a strong concentration in South Bali, which comprises Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Jimbaran, Benoa, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu and Pecatu.
Wayan Suena, president director of Indonesia Impression, noted that hotels in South Bali are usually fully booked, while hotels in the north, east and west suffer low demand. He believes that demand can be spread out to the other regions of Bali by improving access.
To disperse travellers to other parts of Bali, the Bali Tourism Office is improving tourism hardware and infrastructure. “We are repairing the Besakih Temple; building an international theme park with Paramount Pictures in Jembrana, West Bali; completing the Singaraja-Denpasar shortcut access; and continuing construction of the toll road in West Bali,” detailed Tjok Bagus Pemayun, head of the Bali Tourism Office.
Wayan said the Singaraja-Denpasar shortcut access development has already yielded positive results – more visitors are taking one-day tours to Sekumpul waterfall and the Lovina area in Singaraja.
“More agents are also selling one-day tours for dolphin-watching in Lovina,” he added.
Beyond Bali, Wita Tour is promoting itineraries such as Bangka-Belitung, and will create tours to Komodo, Sumba and places in Sumatera.
Addressing the woe of overtourism, Dwi Nugraha, world product manager, Pacto DMC, said areas like Bali’s Canggu and Ubud were often congested due to improper traffic management, not overtourism.
“It is important to carefully assess each area and the reasons behind the high tourist numbers before labelling (the issue) as overtourism,” Dwi warned.
Meanwhile, she is hopeful that road improvements will connect all Bali regions so travellers can easily access areas such as Pemuteran, Amed, and Munduk, thus easing the burden of crowds on South Bali.
David Putrawan, sales and marketing manager of Wita Tour, opined that improved infrastructure could be a double-edged sword. With easier access, more people would visit a destination and give rise to potential overtourism.