Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Ni Luh Puspa, has issued urgent statements condemning the extortion of tourists in top destinations around the country.
As Bali is Indonesia’s biggest tourism destination, efforts are now underway to promote more regions across the country. However, as tourism spreads, leaders want to ensure a safe and comfortable visit for everyone.
Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Ni Luh Puspa, called an online meeting with key tourism stakeholders from around the country after substantiated reports of extortion against tourists were recorded in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara.
The region is seeing a sharp rise in visitors as international tourists begin to look outside of Bali and all around Indonesia for new and exciting travel opportunities. Like Bali, Sumba is home to its own unique cultural heritage and incredible natural landscapes.
However, compared to Bali, Sumba’s tourism sector is still in its infancy, and recent reports of extortion against tourists have been a wake-up call for Indonesians overall.
The response from tourism leaders in Bali comes after Youtuber “Jajago Keliling Indonesia” reported being extorted by local community members while visiting Sumba’s Jalan Poros Tengah Ratenggaro area, close to Ratenggaro Beach and the Ratenggaro Traditional Village.
In their YouTube video, John and his partner Riana explain how children and young people offered to take his photo, using his devices, in return for small cash. However, when they started taking photos he was quickly surrounded by many youngsters and even some adults, who started following him, asking him for money, more donations, and support.
As Indonesian citizens, John and Riana called out the behavior and requested intervention from the authorities to help implement better strategies to support both local communities and tourism development.
Deputy Minister Puspa told stakeholders, “We all have the same commitment and feeling that practices like this should not happen. This is a shared task to create a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable tourist destination.”
She confirmed that the central government and the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism support the firm steps of local governments and law enforcement in providing guidance and taking action against those who have attempted to extort tourists and visitors to the country.
However, the Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of a compassionate, preventive, and educational approach to the community, especially for local children who live in areas where tourists want to explore.
Deputy Minister Pupsa noted, “The Ministry of Tourism will continue to coordinate and collaborate with provincial and district tourism offices so that the community receives assistance in managing destinations and increasing tourism awareness.”
On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Deputy Minister Puspa reiterated to tourists visiting all destinations in Indonesia, including in Bali, not to distribute gifts, donations, or treats directly to children, but rather through coordination with village institutions, community leaders, NGOs, or local governments so that assistance can be distributed appropriately and responsibly.
This is to prevent young children from having expectations about tourists and foreigners. This is especially important in destinations that are developing a tourism sector, but it is also very much the case in Bali.
She added, “This should be a turning point for tourism in Sumba and NTT. We must collaborate to build quality tourism that is orderly and inclusive.”
“We support strengthening local human resources through digital training, marketing, and community-based destination management.”
Speaking separately, the Regent of Southwest Sumba, Ratu Ngadu Bonu Wulla, confirmed to reporters that the local government is committed to ensuring that extortion efforts against tourists do not happen again.
He reiterated that the community is aware that the actions of these individuals are “shameful and against the rules”.
He confirmed that his teams will install information boards at the entrance and in the area within the Ratenggaro Traditional Village containing official tourism activity prices, including entrance tickets, horse riding rates, photo rates, and other tourist activities based on village regulations.
He confirmed that the army, police, and civil police officers will support supervision.
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