The Year Bali Tourism Stopped, Foreign Correspondent

Balis natural beauty and rich culture have made it a tourist magnet but since COVID19, the island is struggling to stay afloat. Locals are questioning their dependence on tourism and the overdevelopment it has unleashed. Marcello and the lifeguards of Kuta Beach rise bright and early for their morning meeting and surf sprints. But they know its going to be a quiet day. While the iconic beach normally attracts 50 000 visitors a day from around the world, today the head lifeguard expects only 50 people. Nobody makes a life on the beach, says Marcello. People who sell massage, or merchandise on the beachI heard they all go back home to their village. Its a very sad Its a common story across the island, even in its remotest corners. Off Balis east coast on the small island of Ceningan, Wayan lost his job at a hotel, and had to return to farming seaweed with his family. Its the same story across Ceningan. Before we had 100 per cent tourism. Now 8