DENPASAR, DEWATA.NEWS – Bali Governor Wayan Koster has raised concerns over the growing number of motorcycle rental businesses and short-term accommodations, including Airbnb listings, allegedly controlled by foreign nationals, estimating that digital-based transactions have reached IDR 50 trillion.
Koster made the remarks during the Grand Design for Bali’s Green Economy and Investment forum at Bali International Hospital in the Sanur Special Economic Zone on Wednesday (February 18, 2026).
“The estimated transaction value handled through digital media managers reaches IDR 50 trillion. That amount is taken by them, and not a single Balinese person is involved,” Koster said.
He added that local transport operators are increasingly losing economic value amid the expansion of digital platforms. The governor also pointed to the continued practice of nominee land ownership arrangements in Bali.
Earlier, on February 11, 2026, Koster held a meeting with Airbnb representatives for Southeast Asia at Jayasabha. The delegation included Shanta Arul, Public Policy Lead for Southeast Asia; Ishwinder Kaur, Public Policy Manager; and Matius Roland, Senior Associate.
During the meeting, Koster urged Airbnb, as a global digital marketplace platform connecting villas and tourism services to visitors in Bali, to comply with provincial regulations.
He emphasized that listings on the platform should strictly adhere to local licensing requirements and tax compliance obligations.
“If they are not compliant, I expect villa and tourism service operators to be removed from Airbnb’s digital listing,” Koster stated.
The governor also invited Airbnb to collaborate with the Bali Provincial Government’s digital platform, Love Bali, particularly to facilitate payment of the Foreign Tourist Levy set at IDR 150,000.
According to Koster, cooperation between global digital platforms and the provincial system is necessary to ensure that tourism-related transactions generate fair economic benefits for Bali.