"We strongly support sports tourism, but we expect all business actors or individuals wishing to hold such events to comply with the regulations," Sumarajaya said after a meeting withthe Bali Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) in Denpasar on Monday (July 27).
Regarding to an incident involving a foreign national in Canggu, Sumarajaya had not yet looked into the case and was unaware of the growing popularity of running community activities, including those organised by foreign tourists.
He said the growing trend reflects the strong potential of sports tourism through running events, but stressed the Bali provincial government wants such activities to be officially organised.
Although the incident involving a foreign national in Canggu has prompted several running communities to scale back their activities over concerns about possible regulatory action, Sumarajaya believes tourists continue to view Bali as a trusted sports tourism destination.
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Meanwhile, Head of Commission II at Bali Regional People's Representative Council, Agung Bagus Pratiksa Linggih, emphasised the running event initiated by the foreign national in Canggu violated regulations, as the local government had removed the low-risk KBLI (sports activity promoter) ran by foreigners from the Integrated Licensing System (OSS) business permit.
Furthermore, this activity also led to racism against domestic runners who tried to join but were rejected.
He therefore urged the Tourism Office to pay closer attention to the growing number of domestic tourists visiting Bali and to facilitate the issuance of official permits for sporting events such as running races.
"I strongly condemn the racist acts in Bali. We welcome international tourists, but they must also respect that this is our home. We must also remember that it was domestic tourists who saved us during COVID, not international tourists," Linggih pointed out.
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Translator: Ni Putu Putri M, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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