AHY Emphasises Sustainable Development for Bali Tourism
JAKARTA – Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making Bali a world-class tourism destination firmly grounded in the principles of sustainable development. According to him, economic and tourism growth must go hand in hand with environmental preservation, cultural protection, and improved welfare for the Balinese people.
AHY made the statement after chairing a Coordination Meeting on Bali Regional Development at the Wiswa Sabha Building, the Bali Governor’s Office in Denpasar, on Monday (20/7/2026). The meeting was attended by Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardana, Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Ossy Dermawan, Bali Governor Wayan Koster, and regents and mayors from across Bali.
“Bali is Indonesia’s flagship. We want to ensure that Bali, as a world-class tourism destination, continues to attract both domestic and foreign tourists. Yet it would be unjust if, in pursuit of tourism growth, the Balinese people, Bali’s nature, and Bali’s culture were neglected. All three must be the primary foundation of development,” AHY said in a written statement issued in Jakarta on Monday.
According to AHY, the government agreed on a number of strategic priorities for Bali’s regional development. The first is strengthening sustainable spatial planning as the basis of development. Spatial planning must maintain a balance between tourism areas, community settlements, productive agricultural land, and the growth of other economic sectors, so that Bali’s development remains controlled and sustainable.
“Regional development must begin with sound spatial planning. We want to ensure that development proceeds in a balanced way — not only supporting tourism, but also keeping rice paddies productive, strengthening food security, and opening up space for other economic growth,” AHY said.
AHY said the second priority is accelerating basic infrastructure and public services. Beyond improving road quality, the government is also focusing on clean water provision, education, and health services as part of comprehensive infrastructure development.
One of the main issues raised at the meeting was traffic congestion, which has become increasingly severe during holiday seasons and peak mobility periods. AHY explained that the government is preparing both short-term and long-term measures to relieve congestion, including optimising the Ketapang-Gilimanuk ferry crossing connectivity, developing multimodal transport, and utilising sea transport such as water taxis.
“Bali’s congestion problem is no longer a local issue. When Bali is gridlocked, the world takes notice. That is why we must respond with real solutions through policies that are strategic, integrated, and sustainable,” AHY asserted.
Beyond transport, waste management is also a key focus of the government. AHY said the strengthening of Integrated Waste Processing Facilities (TPST) and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (TPS3R) facilities will be accelerated, alongside the development of waste-to-energy technology as a long-term solution to increasingly limited waste processing capacity.
In the housing sector, the government is also encouraging the organisation of settlement areas while expanding access for low-income communities to decent and affordable homes through various public housing programmes.