Bali Plans To Ban Hotels & Resorts From Privatising Its Beaches And Blocking Locals

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Bali is planning to stop hotels and resorts from treating beaches as their private property, amid rising concerns that locals are being shut out of the island's shorelines

Earlier this week, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster submitted a draft provincial regulation on beach and shoreline protection to the Bali Regional Legislative Council.

Koster said commercial development is increasingly putting pressure on beaches, limiting their use for social, cultural, and economic activities.

"Access to the beach for Segara Kerthi or Pakelem ceremonies is becoming increasingly limited," Koster told local councillors, as reported by The Jakarta Post.

"Some hotel and villa operators are blocking public access or prohibiting residents from performing important rituals."

Segara Kerthi is a Balinese Hindu ritual to honour and spiritually purify the sea, while Pakelem involves offering items into the ocean for blessings, harmony, and community safety.

The Bali governor also pointed out that some tourism operators behave as if they own the beach and the sea, even though they only own land adjacent to the shore

"Those who build hotels or villas dictate what people can and cannot do," he was quoted as saying.

The draft regulation would prevent hotels and resorts from arbitrarily restricting beach access and strengthen locals' rights to carry out traditional, social, and economic activities.

Bali's administration and the Bali Regional Legislative Council hope to pass the law before the end of 2025, according to Euronews.

While a 2016 Presidential Regulation classified Bali beaches as public spaces, extending at least 100m inland from the highest tide line, enforcement has often been weak, leading to their privatisation

Over the years, several viral incidents have drawn attention to the issue, including:

• In 2023, a tourist at Geger Beach in Nusa Dua was asked to leave so hotel guests could enjoy the view.
• In 2021, a local resident was stopped by security while playing with her child on a beach behind a hotel in Sanur.
• In 2019, locals clashed with tourists renting a villa in Temukus village, Buleleng, after being prohibited from swimming.

Commercial developments have also disrupted religious ceremonies.

In October last year, Finns Beach Club — one of Bali's largest beach clubs — held fireworks at Berawa Beach, ignoring residents' requests to postpone the event while they performed a religious ceremony.

Koster said these incidents show the need to protect public access and preserve local traditions

"If this issue is not addressed, Balinese citizens will face increasing restrictions in performing ceremonies and enjoying public spaces," he said.

The regulation, if it's passed, would guarantee public access, protect religious and cultural activities, and prevent hotels and resorts from imposing unjustified restrictions, keeping Bali's beaches available for everyone, not just paying guests.