The tourism business in Bali has had a difficult past
It's difficult to envision how travel will be in the future while corona is still roving our globe. And that uncertainty must be catastrophic on an island where tourism accounts for 80% of its revenue.
Despite being only one of 17,500 islands in Indonesia, Bali typically attracts 40% of all visitors each month. All foreign tourists are no longer permitted till the end of 2020.
Let's take a look at Bali's past rather than attempting to forecast its future. How did Bali become a popular travel destination in Indonesia? And what nearly made its title redundant?
Explore the development of Bali's tourism industry over the past 120 years.
Before the 1900s: Ponies carrying furniture
Bali wasn't an easy place to travel at the end of the 19th century. Despite the fact that the Dutch had already occupied the Dutch East Indies (what we now know as Indonesia) in 1800, several local rulers still held an informal grip over Bali.
Furthermore, the so-called raja did not make an exception for Dutch tourists. Every local ruler whose territory they would traverse required written authorization from foreign travelers in the form of a passport in both Balinese and Dutch. It could take weeks or even months to hear back from rulers.
Only a small number of people would set out to explore the island due to the protracted bureaucratic process, and even if permission were given, the pricey trip would only be available to a select few. An expedition required pack ponies, translators, servants, and frequently furnishings, including a full bed, as there were no automobiles. It is drastically different from the gear that modern travellers take with them on trips.
The 1910s: Bali becomes accessible to foreigners
The first non-Indonesian families in Bali began to construct permanent homes around 1910. The majority of those early immigrants were Dutch and involved in government endeavors like the opium trade or land taxation. From that point on, the majority of Dutch Controleurs, or government representatives, would establish their offices in a Balinese kingdom.
Additionally, they brought their families along. The Dutch government soon introduced professors, engineers, and medical professionals from their own country. In Buleleng and Denpasar, where they established small Dutch enclaves, the majority of the Dutch families resided.
The Balinese were forced to work for free by the Dutch, who occasionally collaborated with the local kings. As a result, the island began to grow an astonishing infrastructure resembling that of the west. Visitors would proclaim that Bali was the most civilized island in the Dutch East Indies thanks to the roads, bridges, and dams. This accessibility assisted Bali in getting ready for upcoming tourism.
However, while the Dutch viewed Bali as mostly unaffected by foreign industries, they saw the East Indies as their exotic property to exploit. Plantations for rubber, tea, sugar, and tobacco were all over Java, the island next door. Only a few businesses established themselves in Bali, such as a Dutch steamship line that began experimenting with tourism.
