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Photo by Lalu Fatoni |
As the
COVID-19 pandemic subsides, international travelers have been going back to the
popular resort
Recently, the
parliament passed new laws banning cohabitation and sex outside of marriage.
The laws apply to residents, foreign expats, and vacationers in the country.
Although the
changes are not expected to kick in for at least another three years, the new
criminal code could put foreigners off visiting that country and hurt its
global reputation, starving it of vital tourism revenues.
A Turnaround for Travel Operators
“From our
point of view as tourism industry players, this law will be very
counterproductive for the tourism industry in
The new laws
are a response to rising religious conservatism in Muslim-majority
Indonesian
lawmakers have defended the new laws, saying they were an attempt to satisfy
“public aspiration” in a diverse nation. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna
Laoly said that it was not easy for a multicultural and multi-ethnic country to
make a criminal code that “accommodates all interests.”
Winastra says
that the new laws caught him and others off guard because they felt the
government had been very enthusiastic about increasing foreign tourist
arrivals. “Now there will now be rules and laws that will burden tourists and
the industry,” he added. Like most major tourist hotspots around the world,
However, with
the pandemic in retreat, government and tourism industry officials had been
forecasting a healthy revival, potentially bringing in billions of dollars of
revenue for the Indonesian economy.
The World
Travel & Tourism Council, a global industry body, forecast annual growth of
10% for
Local guide
Ken Katut told CNN Travel he believed things were “progressing in the right
direction” in the tourism industry after G20 leaders held a summit in
What Now?
Under the new
criminal code, anyone – Indonesians or foreigners – found guilty of adultery or
premarital relations could face 12 months in jail. It is not yet clear how
these laws will be enforced.
“Do tourist
couples (visiting
“Now foreign
tourists will think twice about traveling to
Rights groups
have noted how the laws will disproportionately affect women and members of the
LGBTQ+ community, and added that they could “provide an avenue for selective
enforcement.”
Hotel
operators have also objected to the laws, saying it would be difficult for them
to enforce.
“Asking
couples if they are married or not is a very private area and it will be an
impossible task to do,” said Ida Bagus Purwa Sidemen, Executive Director of the
Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association (PHRI).
Sidemen feels that the Indonesian government will review the laws following a public backlash. “We just can’t be asking every couple about their legal marital statuses. It will create huge problems for us,” he said.
“But what is
going to happen to us now if the new laws scare tourists off? Will we go back
to how we were during the pandemic?”
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