バリ島、観光税１４４０円徴収開始　外国人が対象

【デンパサール（インドネシア）ＡＦＰ＝時事】「神々の島」として知られるインドネシアの人気観光地バリ島は１４日、観光税１５万ルピア（約１４４０円）の徴収を開始した。当局が明らかにした。人気を活用して収入を増やし、島の魅力を保護するための試み。（写真は資料写真）
　バリ州の知事代行は１２日、記念式典で「観光税は、バリの文化と環境の保護を目的としている」と説明した。
　観光税は、オンラインポータル「Ｌｏｖｅ　Ｂａｌｉ（ラブ・バリ）」を通じて納めなければならない。対象は国内外からバリ島を訪れる外国人観光客で、インドネシア国民は対象外。
　バリ島は、厳しい規制が課された新型コロナウイルス禍から立ち直りつつある。公式統計によると、昨年１～１１月には４８０万人近くが訪れた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/02/14-16:21）

The Indonesian resort haven of Bali began imposing a 150,000 rupiah ($10) tax on arriving tourists Wednesday to preserve the culture of the Island of Gods, officials said.
Tourist-dependent Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors annually and the beach-dotted island is trying to capitalise on its popularity to boost its coffers and protect its tropical allure.
This levy is aimed at the protection of the culture and the environment in Bali, Bali's acting governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya said at a launch ceremony Monday.
The fee will have to be paid electronically through the Love Bali online portal and will apply to foreign tourists entering Bali from abroad or from other parts of Indonesia, according to a press release.
The levy will not apply to domestic Indonesian tourists.
Nearly 4.8 million tourists visited Bali between January and November last year, according to official figures, as the island continued to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic after imposing a zero-tolerance policy on rule-breakers.
The palm-fringed hotspot has vowed a crackdown on misbehaving tourists after a spate of incidents that have included acts of disrespect to the predominantly Hindu island's culture.
Incidents in recent years have included foreign tourists posing for naked photographs at sacred sites and flashing in the street.
Last year, the local government published an etiquette guide for tourists who wish to visit Bali after being pressed to do so by the island's immigration office.