Public Space Issues in Bali Tourist Beaches

This paper presents a review of issues associated with tourist beach development in Bali. An empirical study
is used to clarify the issues in Bali tourist beaches. The rationale behind this paper is because Bali is
generally considered as one of the best tourist destinations in the world, and due to a key tourist asset is its
beaches. Many beautiful panoramic beaches are located in the southern coast of the island; among them are
Kuta, Jimbaran, Pecatu, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Candi Dasa, and other. These have developed rapidly as tourist
attractions and resorts. However, most resorts have developed naturally without planning. Only Nusa Dua
resort was developed through planning and design stages.
Today, the environment of the tourist beaches is under serious threats; due to erosion, leading to the
environmental damage of the beaches and loss of land in some parts of the coast, though a handling effort
has been done recently in the major resorts. Another threat is the development of tourist accommodation and
facilities along the beach which are too close to the coastline. These do not comply with the national Law
and Regulations. These two threats affect the width of the beach which becomes narrowed leading to
insufficient width in accommodating public activities. These activities include; tourist activities, art and
cultural attractions, ritual for the Balinese, as well as the livelihoods of fishermen. Therefore, the loss of
beaches as public spaces will significantly impact on the social, economic and cultural/religious life of the
Balinese.