BNEWS.ID – Chairman of the Bali Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA), I Putu Winastra, firmly voiced his expectations for the central government to step in and help regulate Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and tourism transport licensing in Bali. He conveyed this directly to Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana during her working visit to the Island of the Gods on Thursday, January 1, 2026.

Putu Winastra, accompanied by ASITA Bali Secretary General Nyoman Subrata, joined the Minister of Tourism in a series of agenda items to review Bali’s tourism service readiness ahead of the 2025/2026 Christmas and New Year (Nataru) peak holiday season. The visit began at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and continued to several shopping centers in Denpasar.

The delegation then proceeded to Puri Agung Ubud, a historical and cultural center that has long been an icon of Bali’s cultural tourism. The event was also attended by Bali Governor I Wayan Koster and his ranks, Chairman of PHRI Bali Tjok Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, as well as representatives from other tourism associations.

During a dialogue with tourism industry players, Minister Widiyanti opened discussions on event organization, infrastructure development, and licensing issues in the tourism sector. The opportunity was used by the Chairman of ASITA Bali to outline various fundamental problems that business operators have long faced.

Putu Winastra began by expressing appreciation for the central government’s attention to Bali. “First of all, I would like to thank Madam Minister for choosing Bali as your destination at the beginning of 2026,” he said. He highlighted Bali’s tourism achievements throughout 2025, which saw significant growth, attributing it to the hard work of the government and all stakeholders. However, he warned that future challenges would be increasingly complex.

In line with the Bali Governor’s plan to prepare a Regional Regulation (Perda) on Quality Tourism Governance, Putu Winastra emphasized the commitment of tourism businesses to comply with regulations. Nevertheless, he called for concrete support from the central government, especially in controlling OTAs that sell tourism products without proper licenses.

“Our hope is that the central government will support us in regulating, especially Online Travel Agents (OTAs), which have been selling non-licensed tourism products. This is what has caused chaos and price wars in Bali’s tourism business,” said Winastra, who also serves as Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan for Bali.

Beyond OTAs, tourism transport licensing also became a major concern for ASITA Bali. Putu Winastra explained that licensing authority currently held by the central government has actually complicated matters for local business operators.

“In the past, tourism licensing was under the provincial authority, so the governor could regulate it. But now, it is all centralized,” he said.

He cited that the central licensing system requires operators to have a limited liability company (PT), whereas many tourism transport operators in Bali are individuals organized under cooperatives.

“We hope that Madam Minister can help bridge communication between us, the Minister of Transportation, the Governor’s team, and the Transportation Agency. Hopefully, this can be realized in 2026,” he stressed.

Putu Winastra also revealed that ASITA Bali has raised these issues with various parties, including Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra. In principle, he said, land and sea transportation should be managed by regional governments.

“Therefore, our hope is that since the Governor has already sent an official letter to the Director General of Transportation, which until today has not received any response from the Ministry of Transportation, this matter can be followed up,” he added.

He expressed hope that by 2026, all tourism transport licensing authority could be returned to the regions. This, he said, is crucial to prevent the proliferation of illegal tourism vehicles that are difficult to control on the ground.

“We are concerned that while tourism quality improves, there are still many unlicensed vehicles that are very difficult to track. This has become a serious obstacle,” he noted.

Responding to these concerns, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana acknowledged that many tourism transport issues still need improvement. She emphasized that transport licensing and feasibility fall under the authority of the Ministry of Transportation.

“There are indeed many problematic tourism transport operations. All of that falls under the Ministry of Transportation, including sailing permits and roadworthiness licenses,” she said.

Minister Widiyanti stated that her ministry would further examine supervision mechanisms to ensure safety and service standards in tourism transportation, whether land, sea, or other modes.

“I will look into how we can ensure that supervision is carried out strictly,” she said, while also opening the door for cross-ministerial discussions to find the best solutions.

“We often have discussions with the Minister of Transportation. Later, when there is a schedule to go to Jakarta, we can sit together and discuss this issue,” Widiyanti explained.

Closing the series of activities, the Minister of Tourism invited all stakeholders to welcome 2026 with a spirit of collaboration and optimism.

“Thank you to all stakeholders and media colleagues for your dedication in caring for and developing Indonesian tourism, especially Bali. Let us welcome 2026 with renewed spirit to create and deliver positive contributions for our nation,” she concluded. (*)