A prominent Bali tourism identity fears that the island is losing its charm because of over-crowding.
Gus Lolec, a director of Pacific World, told Bisnis Bali that problems associated with traffic congestion, destruction of the natural environment and the diversion of land from traditional pursuits was making it difficult for modern tourists to discern the true spirit of Bali.
Lolec warned that Bali’s culture is fading. The development of railways and other infrastructure projects had the potential to cause more damage to the environment and accelerate the island’s cultural decline, he said.
He also believes the people of Bali are being marginalised by the influx of outsiders.
His comments coincided with an agreement between Indonesia and Australia to increase air passenger capacity between the two countries by 70 percent to 25,000 seats per week, to meet increasing demand.
Much of the extra capacity is likely to used between Australia and Bali, increasing pressure on the island’s creaking infrastructure and services,
