After Indonesia suspended international arrivals to the country at the end of March 2020, and domestic arrivals in Bali a month later, Bali Governor, I Wayan Koster, announced a tentative timeline in early July for reopening the island. The wheels of commerce would be the first to turn, followed by domestic tourism at the end of July. Subject to Indonesia’s Covid19 caseload and the status of the central government’s ban on international arrivals, Bali would reopen for foreign tourists on September 11.After Indonesia suspended international arrivals to the country at the end of March 2020, and domestic arrivals in Bali a month later, Bali Governor, I Wayan Koster, announced a tentative timeline in early July for reopening the island. The wheels of commerce would be the first to turn, followed by domestic tourism at the end of July. Subject to Indonesia’s Covid19 caseload and the status of the central government’s ban on international arrivals, Bali would reopen for foreign tourists on September 11.

Among the fray, some foreigners snickered over the chosen date, as though it had been randomly selected, and that the anniversary of the New York terrorist attacks carries the same weight the world over. “They could’ve chosen the date better!” exclaimed an Australian communications specialist, while moderating a virtual talk about yet another book on Bali by yet another Australian journalist.

Almost all Indonesian and Balinese language media, alongside local English language titles, consistently refer to the island as Pulau Dewata (Island of the Gods), which was popularised by Indonesian language guide books in the 1950s and ’60s. On the other hand, almost all foreign media refer to it as a resort, holiday, or tourist island, often without mentioning that it’s part of Indonesia, undoubtedly contributing to the misconception among some foreigners that Bali is independent.

While hackneyed hyperbole such as “tropical wonderland” and “natural paradise” harks back to books and articles on Bali from the 1920s and ’30s, “resort island” entered marketing parlance when development in Nusa Dua began in the 1980s. For much foreign media, the label stuck.

“Personally, I feel like ‘resort island’ is only a label for how outsiders see it, as a place to throw out their trash, so to speak,” said Dwi Ermayanthi, 30, the co-owner of Little Talks library cafe and Festival Manager of Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. “People feel stressed and they need a break, so they come to Bali and do whatever they want; they’re searching for a place to escape, a place to throw out their trash.

“On one side the term ‘resort island’ could give the impression of luxury, but on the other, it’s cheap, disposable,” she continues. “I know media and marketing companies need to use labels, and they need to sell copies and clicks, but now that tourism has stopped and we are evaluating the future of our primary industry, those labels should be reconsidered. What’s more, except those who are extremely wealthy or own one themselves, how many Balinese have ever stayed in a resort?”

Erma’s thoughts are shared by Kadek Putra Suyoga, a staff member at Vienna Beach Resort. The 22–year–old previously worked in Nusa Dua and Kuta, but returned to Amed to support his family after the 2017 Mount Agung eruptions. He believes that part of Amed’s appeal is that it never gets too crowded; “the quieter Amed is, the better it is,” he says. Despite the severe loss of income caused by Covid19, like Kadek, some Balinese in these quieter regions want to keep it this way.

Like Erma, Gung Dewi doesn’t feel comfortable with the “resort island” label. “Here in Karangasem there are many poor people who never receive any benefits from resort-style tourism; just the negative aspects, such as over-development and encroachment on agricultural land. As a Balinese, it makes me sad to think of my home described as a resort island, as if it were full of luxury resorts, because it’s just not the truth.”

Read the rest of long article here:
https://www.travelfish.org/longreads/listen-to-balinese

A Travelfish long read by Julia Winterflood: