Aftermath of 'Bule' Running Club Controversy, Nyoman Parta Highlights Foreigners Residing Permanently in Bali
Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), I Nyoman Parta, has responded to allegations of discrimination by the running club Entourage Bali. The running community, whose members are foreign nationals (WNA), previously went viral after their activities disturbed residents’ comfort on public roads.
Parta urged the Badung Regency Government and the Bali Provincial Government to put things in order. The PDIP politician also highlighted foreign nationals suspected of residing permanently in Bali. He asked Immigration to enforce the permits of foreigners on the Island of the Gods.
“Ironically, what happened in Canggu looks like negligence — they took over public road space without a permit, and nobody stopped them. Where were the village authorities, the Badung Transportation Office, the Kuta Police Chief and the Badung Police at the time?” Parta said in a written statement on Saturday (25/7/2026).
Parta believes corrective action is needed so that foreign tourists do not act with impunity while holidaying in Bali. He also raised the widespread problem of foreigners overstaying their residency permits in Bali. Parta warned that if foreign tourists are not disciplined, they will build tourist villages across Bali.
“Tourism requires a turnover of people, not people who settle permanently, let alone overstay. The crucial point is when we allow our villages to become tourist villages where they live permanently,” he added.
Parta then cited the large number of foreign tourists in the Canggu area. He stressed the importance of limiting foreign tourists from residing permanently, particularly those without sufficient funds to support their stay in Bali.
“Truly, the most ideal tourism concept is one where people continuously come and go. If they return, they must leave Bali within the limits of their visit visas,” said the Bali-born member of the DPR RI.
Parta pointed to the example of Venice in Italy, where local residents are increasingly displaced as foreigners come to dominate the population. According to him, it is time for Bali to prioritise quality tourism over quantity.
“We can perhaps also learn from Spain, a country that manages tourism well. Its focus is no longer on visitor numbers, but on high-value tourism. In Barcelona and Madrid, the use of public space is tightly regulated,” he added.
Previously, a running event titled Bali Silent Disco became the target of public outrage online. The running event was suspected of violating immigration rules and was rife with discrimination against local residents. Beyond being discriminatory, the running club’s activities were also frequently complained about for disturbing public order on the roads.
The event was known to be organised by a running community called Entourage Bali, whose members are foreign nationals. Several applicants with Indonesian phone numbers (+62 prefix) or Indonesian citizens were even rejected from joining the community’s WhatsApp group.