"Bali Needs New Rules To Attract
“Quality” Tourists After Tourists Disrespect Balinese Temples." Says
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For more info about Bali: Bali Travel Info
Photo: Bali Travel Info
Bali is an
island of temples, based on the catalogue of the Department of Religion at
least eleven thousand temples - small and large, local and regional reside on
the island. Bali is famous for the
beautiful beaches, local food, rain forests, the capital of the new age in this
era. For so many reasons, Bali island attracts
about five million foreign
tourists each year.
Photo: Bali Travel Info
Sadly, in the recent
years, so many tourists disrespect toward the Balinese temples and sacred sites
on the island; climbing on sacred Hindu sites and posing in bikinis. “An
image of a Danish tourist sitting in the Linggih Padmasana shrine at the Luhur
Batukaru temple went viral.” The
shrine is reserved for the most important Deity in Balinese Hinduism, known as
the Supreme God. Sitting on sacred sites in Bali is regarded as highly offensive to our faith.
Photo: Daily Mail
So many
pictures were gone viral on the internet about tourists behaving offensively on
the island. “Other offensive behaviors that took place
consisted of climbing on temples, structures and a woman posing in her bikini
in front of the temple doing the downward dog yoga pose. The Bali local
government believed the recent increase of visitors was negatively impacting
the island.”
Photo: Daily Mail
The government
considers to set new guidelines in order to draw in more “quality”tourists. Bali’s deputy governor, Cok Ace noticed a
different “quality” of tourists than ever before. “It is because we are too
open to tourists, so too many come.”
The
Indonesian Hindu Religious Council has instructed the police to investigate the
Linggih Padmasana shrine incident and find the tourist responsible, enforcing
their strict blasphemy laws.
The new
guidelines are intended to preserve Bali’s culture and customs through the
temples. The government is also planning to restrict tourist access shrines
and temples in Bali.
Most sacred sites
have a dress code and certain rules to follow before enter the
sacred sites and temples on the island.
Please ask your
travel guides the dress code and guidelines before entering any temples on the
island.
Happy Travels!
