RRI.CO.ID, Bali - Indonesia's Tourism Minister, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, proposed the formation of a cross-ministerial and cross-agency working group to map and prioritize basic infrastructure development in Bali. This proposal was submitted at the Ministerial Coordination Meeting for Bali Regional Development at the Bali Governor's Office on Monday, July 20, 2026.

The proposal arose in response to a number of challenges facing Bali's tourism sector, ranging from waste management, tourist density, spatial planning, and the suboptimal potential of cruise ship tourism. The Minister stated that a World Bank study received by the Ministry of Tourism estimated Bali's basic infrastructure investment needs at US$16.4 to 24.7 billion, or equivalent to Rp295.2 trillion to Rp444.6 trillion.

She added that the working group needed to identify truly urgent needs so they could be implemented immediately. "Given the current challenges, I hope the Coordinating Minister can direct the formation of a working group to review this jointly," Minister Widiyanti said.

She emphasized that waste management is a priority because it directly relates to Bali's competitiveness and reputation as a world-class destination. The Ministry of Tourism is pushing for accelerated marine waste remediation, improvements to the open dumping system at the Suwung Landfill, the addition of 3R waste disposal facilities in tourist villages, and the strengthening of waste sorting in the hotel, restaurant, and cafe sectors.

To reduce tourist concentration in South Bali, the Ministry of Tourism continues to develop a 4B visitation equitable distribution program covering Banyuwangi, West Bali, North Bali, and East Bali. Furthermore, the acceleration of digital RDTR (Regional Spatial Planning) integrated with the OSS system is also being encouraged, as only 28 of the targeted 73 RDTRs are connected to the system.

In addition to spatial planning, the Minister also highlighted the opportunities for cruise tourism through the Bali Maritime Tourism Hub and Celukan Bawang Port as a new source of economic growth. "Our support is more downstream because we are also managing business permits for accommodation businesses," the Minister said.

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, issued three further directives: the development of a master plan for tourist dispersion, the development of destinations in North, East, and West Bali, and the integration of development with connectivity and community empowerment. "We ensure that robust and sustainable infrastructure can open up new economic opportunities. Bali must also become a model for tourism development for other regions in Indonesia," Agus said.