150,000 rupiah per person: Bali's new tourist tax arrives

Indonesia's holiday island of Bali has rolled out its new tourist tax as part of an effort to tackle the region's biggest problems - traffic and rubbish.

As of February 14, 150,000 Indonesian rupiah (about $9) are now due, in addition to the 500,000 rupiah ($31) for a 30-day visa.

The tourism tax applies to everyone without exception, including children. Those who make a side trip to neighbouring islands such as the popular Gili Islands, Lombok or Java have to pay again on their return trip to Bali.

This does not apply to short trips to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan, as these three islands belong to the province of Bali.

Some observers had questioned whether the new procedure would lead to long queues at arrivals areas, but according to the head of the local tourism authority, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, the processing should not take more than 23 seconds per person.

Officials also hope most tourists will in future be paying online in advance of travelling to Bali and have said credit card payments would be accepted.

While the costs for single travellers might be bearable, many families with children will probably soon look for cheaper holiday destinations in Southeast Asia, some on social media have commented.

Indonesia fans who use Bali as a base from which to explore the island nation also face high costs. Many enter the country via Bali, for example, travel to Lombok for a few days and then - after further stopovers on Bali - travel on to the Komodo dragons on the Lesser Sunda Islands, to the orang-utans on Sumatra and to the Borobodur temple in Java. For island hopping adventures like this, 150,000 rupiah are now charged for each stop in Bali.

The worsening traffic problems and the lack of waste disposal are the biggest headaches for Bali, and authorities say to be able to better counteract the negative effects of mass tourism in the future, they need fresh cash in their coffers.