Many young Balinese people believe tourism automatically means money. We see wealthy visitors, large hotels and new businesses, so it is easy to think everyone must benefit. In reality, much of the money belongs to large investors, and ordinary people receive much less than they imagine.
Taxes are paid, but I do not see enough of that money being used to protect the culture that tourism is selling. Many Balinese people live far away from the tourism zones in remote villages. Tourists still travel there looking for “real local people,” often guided by outsiders who do not fully understand our culture themselves.
I do not like tourists taking photographs of me while I am praying. Guides keep telling them it is acceptable, but it is not.
A prayer is a private and sacred moment. It should not become a performance. The same is true of cremations. Tourists can pay a few dollars to attend one, but for us it is one of the most important ceremonies in a person’s life.
At Besakih, our most important temple, many local people no longer visit in the afternoon because it is too crowded with tourists. They go early in the morning or in the evening so they can pray in peace. In hotels and restaurants, waitresses may wear clothes meant for temple ceremonies, while sacred statues are used as decoration. Each example may seem small, but together they reduce the meaning of things that are important to us.
Young people do not always see this side. They see the income. A hotel room attendant might receive 10,000 rupiah in wages and another 30,000 in tips. A tip that feels small to a tourist can be important to him. Training that costs one million rupiah may lead to a hotel job overseas earning ten million. It is understandable that young people are attracted to such opportunities.
Incomes have increased, but prices have risen even faster. Ordinary households are under more pressure. At the same time, I think our community bonds have sometimes become stronger because Balinese people feel the need to support each other in response to the changes around us.
Tourism has brought many imported products and businesses: fast food, fruit, animals and entertainment designed for visitors. The environmental effects worry me greatly. Rice fields become hotels. Trees are cut for furniture and souvenirs. Stones are taken from riverbeds for construction. Coral reefs and turtle populations are under pressure.
Water is becoming scarce too. Hotels receive what they need first, while local people share what is left. The government publishes information about the problem, but I have not seen enough concrete action.
Healthcare remains poor. At a hospital, staff may ask how you will pay before asking what happened to you. Without insurance, proper treatment is too expensive for many families. High-school education is fairly similar across Indonesia, but university quality is much better in Java than in Bali.
My university campus is ten kilometres north of the main building in Denpasar. It is poorly maintained, badly ventilated and difficult to reach through the traffic.
Since our motorbike was stolen, travelling between my home and university has become too expensive. Now I often have to sleep at the campus.
The motorbike was stolen during a festival. Crowded events with many parked motorbikes have become common targets for thieves. My family could sell our garden to replace it, but the garden is our one real inheritance. I hope we never have to make that choice.
I have watched other families sell their land. Sometimes they genuinely need the money; sometimes they simply want to buy something new. Either way, once the land has been sold, it is difficult to get it back.
I am also concerned about my generation. Attitudes towards sex and relationships have become more casual, abortions are more common, and some young people prefer parties and modern entertainment to temple life. I do not believe every change can be blamed on tourists, but tourism and outside media have helped create the world in which these choices are made.
If young people lose interest in our traditions, they cannot pass them to their children. Then the only Balinese culture left may be the commercial version sold to visitors. I hope we choose a better future than that.