Photo: www.thebaliweekly.com
Bali is a popular tourist destination in the international level. Hearing the name of Bali, is identical to a region of majestic and exotic. Tourist destination such as Nusa Dua, Sanur, Kuta, and Ubud illustrates that the community of this island is very prosperous. For outsider, Balinese is often considered as a rich man, had a small hotel or accommodation and a lot of dollars. The portraits of Badung and Denpasar narrate the island as if far from poverty.
The Number of Poor People in Bali in the year 1999-2009
| Year | Number of Poor People (000) | Percentage of Poor People | ||||
| Urban | Rural | Urban+Rural | Urban | Rural | Urban+Rural | |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) |
| 1999 | 114.5 | 143.3 | 257.8 | 9.42 | 7.94 | 8.53 |
| 2000 | 80.1 | 96.7 | 176.8 | 5.49 | 5.85 | 5.68 |
| 2001 | 67.1 | 181.3 | 248.4 | 4.30 | 11.35 | 7.87 |
| 2002 | 98.9 | 122.9 | 221.8 | 5.72 | 8.25 | 6.89 |
| 2003 | 99.7 | 146.4 | 246.1 | 6.14 | 8.48 | 7.34 |
| 2004 | 87.0 | 144.9 | 231.9 | 5.05 | 8.71 | 6.85 |
| 2005 | 105.9 | 122.5 | 228.4 | 5.40 | 8.51 | 6.72 |
| 2006 | 127.4 | 116.0 | 243.5 | 6.40 | 8.03 | 7.08 |
| 2007 | 119.8 | 109.3 | 229.1 | 6.01 | 7.47 | 6.63 |
| 2008 | 115.1 | 100.6 | 215.7 | 5.70 | 6.81 | 6.17 |
| 2009 | 92.1 | 89.7 | 181.7 | 4.50 | 5.98 | 5.13 |
Source: Berita Resmi Statistik, 1 Juli 2009 (PDF File), BPS – Statistics of Bali Province, available on: http://bali.bps.go.id/hal_indicator_detail.php?id=02
Prosperous society conditions very far from reality. In the midst of glamorous tourism in Bali, the number of poor people is still significant. Since the construction of Ngurah Rai airport in 1969, the number of poor people in Bali had fluctuated (see the Tables). In 2009 the number of poor people in Bali was 181,700 people. This amount is 5.13% of the amount of the Balinese.
Considering tourism as an important source of Balinese income, the form of tourism activity should be maximized for the welfare of the local community. The responsibility of tourism businesses, tourist, government, and non Government organizations and universities are essential. Synergies are important to reduce number of poor community in Bali. For instance, tourist is encouraged to be responsible and always thinking of their negative impact during the trips. Moreover, the tourism business or tourism service companies are vital for sustainable development. Government as facilitator and policy maker should have a high bargaining power to ensure that tourism activity will be managed well. As an organization of control, the Non Government Organization (NGO) and universities must contribute a good assistance to empower the local community.