Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

Following increasing media expose on presence of Bali villas conducting illegal commercial operation in North Bali, government of Buleleng regency assigned a team to record presence of Bali private villas, hotels, and guest houses in the area. The activity resulted in quite surprising findings. In addition to private villas – which were legally registered as private residence – let for commercial holiday rental, the team also found a luxurious hotel which failed to show its commercial license.

Head of regulation enforcement unit on tourism attractions, accommodations, and entertainment facilities of Buleleng tourism office, Ni Nyoman Sikadani, S.Sos., explained that the team has actually started their work in the beginning of September 2008. Objective of the team consisting of officials from tourism office, treasury office, immigration, tourism police, civil police, and other relevant institutions was to monitor presence and activities of Bali villas, hotels, and guest houses in main tourism districts in North Bali, Tejakula, Banjar, and Buleleng.

In those three districts the team admitted that the found violation conducts as exposed by news medias, such as illegally operating Bali private villas which held building permit as private resident but commercially rented out for holiday accommodation. There were also hostels and hotels with expired license remained in commercial operation. There were even some which did not have license at all.

Sukadani informed that the team would then continue their activity to Gerokgak district. Preliminary assessment show thate there was quite a luxurious hotel with large number of bedrooms operating without proper license including building permit.”The hotel does not have proper license but has already been getting guests through online marketing. The real owner has not been clearly identified yet as well”, said Sukadani.

Chairman of Indonesian Democratic Party in Struggle fraction at Buleleng house of representatives, Made Agus Yudiarsa insisted Buleleng govenrment to pay serious attention and started strictly enforce existing regulation.