Bali places moratorium on new hotel construction

In order to preserve the extraordinary landscape of Bali, authorities have decided to limit the construction of new hotels, and are more likely to favour quality over quantity in the future.

The Indonesian island paradise of Bali, which has been experiencing a surge in tourism, saw its uniqueness undermined by the proliferation of new buildings needed to accommodate its burgeoning tourist trade.

The governor of the island has placed a moratorium on all hotel construction in the three main tourist areas in order to assess the situation and take the time to analyze all the issues.

Given the popularity of the island with tourists, it is now not uncommon to see traffic jams on the roads linking the resorts of Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Ubud.

Over 2 million tourists visited the Indonesian island in 2010, and more than 2.5 million are expected to visit this year.