Tourists enjoy the sunset at Canggu beach in Bali, Indonesia, Dec. 2, 2021. Photo by Reuters
Bali, Indonesia’s renowned holiday island, has intensified efforts to curb cases of foreigners engaging in prostitution as part of its initiative to improve the quality of tourism.
Prostitution cases involving foreign nationals are widespread in Bali and pose significant challenges for immigration authorities, according to Bali immigration chief Samuel Toba, as quoted by Indonesia Expat.
Some foreigners come to Bali for holidays but then use entertainment or massage venues as a front to provide sexual services, breaching their travel conditions, Toba said at a recent press conference.
To restore Bali’s tourism reputation, local authorities have launched a law enforcement task force to monitor vice establishments and online platforms, aiming to prevent foreigners from providing sexual services, the South China Morning Post reported.
Prostitution is illegal in Indonesia. Under the country’s anti-pornography law, selling or paying for sex can result in jail sentences ranging from six months to 12 years.
Recent crackdowns have resulted in several arrests of foreign tourists in Bali.
Last month, an Australian couple operating a spa in Kuta district were detained during a raid targeting illegal prostitution. Bali police reportedly seized condoms and massage oil from the premises.
In September, a Russian woman was deported for allegedly misusing her residence permit to offer sex services from a villa in the Seminyak area.
In October, Bali was named Asia’s most beautiful island by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in its Readers’ Choice Awards.
The island welcomed 15.5 million visitors in 2023, nearing its pre-pandemic tourism numbers from 2019.
In the first seven months of 2024, Bali recorded 3.89 million arrivals, a significant increase from 2.9 million during the same period the previous year.
Indonesian authorities have recently pledged to establish Bali as the heart of the country’s tourism industry, emphasizing the improvement of tourism services and managing visitor numbers to address overcrowding on the island.
