Bali Wants a Share of the VOA

It was interesting to read in the Bali Discovery newsletter this week an article about how the Bali Government is demanding a share of the VOA generated every day from incoming tourists.

I was wondering when the Bali Government would stand-up to the big boys in Jakarta and ask for their fare share. As the article explains: In defending Bali’s claim to a share of visa revenues, the governor pointed to the island’s dependence on tourism and its lack of exploitable natural resources, such as other parts of Indonesia.

A point well made. Bali has and always will be a tourist island. In demanding a decent portion of the VOA revenue, the Balinese Government could use this money for infrastructure on the island and thus generating even more interest for tourists travelling to Bali.

When you think about how many flights a day arrive in Bali from around the world then that is a lot of American Dollars. It’s no wonder that the Government in Jakarta is ecstatic!

What do you think about Bali demanding a fair share of the VOA?