Increased surveillance of foreign nationals to be introduced in top Bali tourist hotspots after run club row

Officials in Bali are looking to increase surveillance of foreign nationals across some of the island’s top holiday hotspots after last week’s run club controversy.

Two expats were banned from returning to Indonesia and a warrant issued for their arrest after they were accused of barring locals from joining a run club in Canggu marketed towards expats and digital nomads who have moved to Bali.

Following the accusation against the organisers of the Entourage Bali Run Club, local authorities have issued a swift response to stop an incident like it from happening again.

According to local media, the Badung Tourism Office says it is implementing a new strict notification system in order to monitor every community event being organised in a public space from the get go.

Head of the Badung Tourism Office, AA Putri Mas Agung, told The Bali Sun that the new strategy would help monitor the impact of tourist activity on locals.

“Through this mechanism, the local government hopes that every activity can be monitored from the start, including licensing, impacts on the surrounding community and compliance with applicable regulations,” she said.

It means increased surveillance of those seeking to run community or public events, whether profit-making or not, in Bali’s most popular tourist regions, with people being warned to follow the appropriate channels to ensure that events are properly licensed, fully permitted and signed off by the local government and stakeholders.

Ms Agung continued: “We want to ensure that the tourism climate in Badung remains inclusive, orderly, and respectful of the rights of all parties.

“Tourists are welcome to enjoy Badung but all activities must respect the culture and local communities and comply with applicable regulations.

“This way Badung tourism can continue to thrive harmoniously and Bali remains stable.”

Badung is home to Bali’s most popular tourist resorts including Canggu, Uluwatu, Kuta, Legian and Seminyak, with over a million Aussies flocking to them each year.

When asked about an update around the Entourage Bali Run Club incident, Ms Agung revealed that the case was with immigration.

“The Tourism Office has fully entrusted the Immigration Office and the police with conducting the investigation in accordance with applicable regulations,” she said.

“This is the Immigration Office’s authority, so we are awaiting official results from the relevant agencies.”