Bali senator backs fewer visitors with higher spending power

Bali — Bali senator Arya Wedakarna responded on Thursday, October 8, 2026, to calls on social media to boycott the island, saying visitors who did not want to come were free to stay away.

Why it matters: Visitors and tourism businesses are seeing a public debate over whether Bali should prioritise visitor volume or tourists with higher spending power, without a reported change to tourism rules.

Wedakarna said Bali was selecting what he described as quality tourists, particularly visitors with strong spending power and financial resources. He said he preferred fewer visitors with higher spending capacity over larger numbers of tourists, according to DetikINET.

He also urged residents and social-media users not to be provoked by the boycott calls and said Bali continued to have an international visitor market capable of supporting the regional tourism sector.

Public debate over visitor treatment

The remarks followed a wider dispute involving complaints about tourist experiences in Bali and comments directed at domestic and international visitors. Reports published earlier in October described criticism of Wedakarna’s view that visitors should bring substantial spending power to the island.

DetikINET reported that the boycott response drew attention on social media. A separate report by Liputan6 said some social-media users criticised the comments as insensitive to complaints about tourism services and visitor treatment.

Wedakarna’s comments present a preference for a higher-spending tourism model, but the reports do not describe a new government policy or binding change to Bali’s tourism rules.

Sources

• DetikINET
• Liputan6