The phenomenon of short visits or one-day trips has become a major challenge for tourism development in Nusa Penida, Bali.
Although thousands of tourists flock to prime destinations like Kelingking Beach, Broken Beach, and Crystal Bay every day, most come only for the day and do not stay overnight.
Klungkung Regent, I Made Satria, emphasised that this visitation pattern has had serious impacts on the sustainability of tourism and the local economy in Nusa Penida.
“One-day trips are indeed popular, but the impact is congestion and significant pressure on infrastructure. We want to change direction. Tourists should stay longer to stimulate the local economy truly,” Satria said on Wednesday, the 12th of November.
Satria remarked that tourists who stay longer would provide broader economic benefits, ranging from increased hotel occupancy and employment absorption to the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the local culinary and transportation sectors.
“We want Nusa Penida to be not just a destination for tourists to stop by, but also for longer stays. The impact would be far-reaching, from increasing regional income to its impact on the community,” he explained.
The Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (Perhimpunan Hotel dan Restoran Indonesia or PHRI) Klungkung, Putu Darmaya, acknowledged the disparity between the surge in daily visits and hotel occupancy rates in Nusa Penida. He also hopes that collaboration between the government and tourism industry players will lead to the development of creative tour packages that can extend tourists’ stays.
“During peak season, visits can reach 10,000–12,000 people per day, but hotel occupancy rates are only around 60%. This means tourists arrive early and leave late,” Darmaya explained as well.
Nusa Penida has been under scrutiny lately, largely due to the polarising glass elevator project. Recently, it has also been reported that the Special Committee for Spatial Planning, Assets, and Licensing of the Bali Provincial People’s Representative Council (DPRD Bali) not only closed the glass elevator project but also suspended bungee jumping activities at Extreme Park, Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali.
“The contour of the cliff [where the bungee jumping activities were held], to the naked eye, is already very susceptible to cracks and falls. The cliff there is exposed to wind [as well],” previously said the Chairman of the Special Committee for Spatial Planning, Assets, and Licensing of DPRD Bali, I Made Supartha, on Tuesday, the 11th of November.