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Foreign travellers visiting the Indonesian island of Bali will now face a tourist tax of $10 (£7.70) per person before they can enter the popular backpacking destination.

The 150,000 rupiah levy, effective from today (14 February), has been introduced in a bid to preserve the island’s cultural integrity and crack down on a rise in “unruly behaviour” from visitors.

Tourists entering from abroad will have to pay the one-time fee electronically prior to or during their visit to Bali. Domestic Indonesian travellers will be exempted from the tax.

Island governor I Wayan Koster said that the tax will be used for the environment, culture and building “better quality infrastructure” to improve the safety and comfort of those who make the journey to Indonesia’s most famous island.

Over four million foreign tourists flocked to Bali in 2023, according to Bali’s Central Bureau of Statistics, with Australian visitors the most common arrivals.

The ‘Love Bali’ initiative by the Bali Provincial Government states that the new financial support will help the move towards sustainable green tourism on the island.

“Efforts and innovations will continue to be made for the maintenance, culture and the natural environment in Bali. There will also continue to be an improvement in the quality of services,” they added.

The new levy coincides with Indonesia’s national elections on Wednesday, 14 February. Foreign Office advice urges British travellers to be “more vigilant in the weeks before and after the vote,” when entering Indonesian holiday destinations.

Bali isn’t the first holiday giant to tackle the effects of overtourism using entry fees.

From spring this year, Italian hotspot Venice will charge daytrippers €5 (£4.26) to enter the historic canalside centre using a ticketing system to limit the numbers pouring in.

Plans will initially be implemented as a 30-day trial and there will be exemptions for commuters, students and tourists who stay in the city overnight.

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