A new collaborative platform uniting investors, government, and local stakeholders to strengthen transparency and sustainable economic growth in Bali’s tourism sector.
What began in May 2025 as a simple idea between Mrs Ir. Rizki Handayani, MBTM, the Deputy Minister for Industry and Investment at Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, and Robert Beard from the Bali Foreign Investment Advisory Service—who has for years worked closely with women leaders from Indonesian government ministries in Jakarta and KADIN Indonesia (the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce)—has now grown into a collaborative platform: a bridge for real change.
Robert reached out to Mrs Sophie from Yak Magazine and Mr Terje from Seven Stones Indonesia. On the 10th of July, SSI, which frequently supports the Ministry of Tourism, helped bring together a select group of individuals to explore how communication between investors and the government could be strengthened. This initial meeting took place on the 17th of July 2025, and from that discussion, a working group was formed.
Today, we are proud to officially announce the launch of the Bali Tourism Investment Chamber (BTIC) — a positive initiative supported by the Indonesian Government, created to foster understanding, transparency, and collaboration between foreign investors, local stakeholders, and government authorities.
This initiative must be managed with care — free from politics and conflicts of interest, and with one shared goal: economic benefit for Bali, the Balinese people, and all of us who call this island home.
Our temporary board collectively represents more than 100 years of experience and has supported over 3,000 foreign investors in establishing or managing their investments across Bali and Indonesia. Moving forward, this figure will continue to grow with each person joining the board and as a member.
We are also delighted to welcome two highly respected individuals to our founding circle:
Robert Ian Bonnick, known as “The Inspirationalist”, brings decades of global experience in leadership, community building, and hospitality. From his early career in London’s hotel industry to his influential work in Bali as a connector, speaker, and strategist, Robert has been instrumental in bridging people and purpose — a perfect reflection of BTIC’s core mission.
Elvira Wijsen, co-founder of the globally recognised Bye Bye Plastic Bags movement and a passionate advocate for sustainability, represents the younger generation of visionary Indonesians leading by example. Her voice and experience add a vital dimension to BTIC — reminding us that investment and environmental responsibility must grow hand in hand.
Together, we are united by one purpose: to build a respectful, practical dialogue between investors and government — both central and provincial.
It’s not only about hearing investor concerns (there are more than 25,000 foreign establishments in Bali), but also about supporting government efforts to socialise new regulations and explain their rationale.
We will continue to identify challenges, work collaboratively towards improvement, and manage that process with a deep understanding of legal, cultural, and community contexts.
The Chamber will grow into a fully independent and democratic organisation, already founded upon a structure endorsed by the government.
We welcome open discussion and collaboration. Please reach out to any of us for more information or to express your interest in joining the extended preliminary board or becoming a supporting member.
Visit our website to connect or learn more: www.bali-tourism-investment.id