Bali-bound travellers could come across interesting new billboards alongside the usual ads for buffets and Bintang on their next visit to the Indonesian island, if a new campaign gets the green light.
Provincial tourism officials have revealed plans to introduce billboards that aim to encourage what authorities consider appropriate behaviour among visitors.
Bali Tourism Board (BTB) chair Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana confirmed the proposal, which is currently under public consideration, to reporters earlier this week.
“We are assigned by the government, in this case, the Bali Tourism Office, to prepare socialisation in the form of writing and visuals. However, we have to start with some kind of appeal at several points,” the chair said. This implies there could be more than just posters on the way.
According to the Bali Sun, Adnyana said the public awareness campaign ads would feature at strategic locations in Denpasar and Gianyar Regencies, thereby covering the island’s most popular destinations such as Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Canggu, Ubud, Sanur, Nusa Dua, and Uluwatu.
If all goes to plan, authorities would initially install at least ten large advertisements translated into multiple languages, led by English.
“The point is for tourists to respect the cultural customs of the Balinese by dressing well and eating [well] and being orderly in carrying out traffic activities,” he remarked, “… by not doing things that are outside the provisions such as doing business and working in Bali”.
“Indeed, we are ‘welcoming’ and accept everything. Guests are king, but don’t abuse.”
Billboards abroad
Adnyana said that the board would also team up with social media influencers, tourism stakeholders and other international content creators to publicise the campaign abroad.
By spreading the initiative through “their own people”, the BTB chair added that prospective international tourists would less likely be deterred from visiting the province.
Adnyana said the billboards would measure four by five metres, “according to the important thing that needs to be read, easy, and there are aesthetic [considerations]”.
In December 2022, Bali introduced new rules around extramarital sex on the island.
As travel to Bali continues to recover, Garuda Indonesia announced last month it would boost capacity from Sydney and Melbourne to Denpasar (Bali) and Jakarta.
