Published: November 3, 2022
The Indonesian Ministry for Tourism and Creative Economies has formally partnered with Airbnb. The new partnership with Wonderful Indonesia and Airbnb is called ‘Live And Work Anywhere Bali’. The aim is to promote the Island of the Gods to digital nomads and remote workers by improving awareness of the B211a socio-cultural visa.
The B211a socio-cultural visa is branded as the digital nomad visa by Indonesia’s Tourism Minster, Sandiaga Uno. The new marketing campaign and partnership is providing digital nomads with all the information they need to start a new chapter in Bali, with everything from visa information, tips about currency exchange, and of course, access to Airbnbs across the island and exclusive Airbnb experiences.
According to the Airbnb website, ‘Airbnb is partnering with Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, promoting Bali as part of our Live and Work Anywhere program, designed to highlight outstanding global destinations for remote working. The Indonesian province has been blazing a trail for years as a leading destination for aspiring digital nomads.
Airbnb’s Live and Work Anywhere program is an international campaign to showcase destinations around the world that are ‘embracing the potential of remote work’. Other destinations highlighted by the program include Lisbon, Cape Town, Mexico City, Palm Springs, and Malta.
Airbnb is promoting the new digital nomad visa, making it even easier for remote workers to take the steps needed to move to Bali. Airbnb writes, ‘Since September 2022, remote workers in Bali have been able to use a B211A visa to work online for up to six months, income tax-free. It’s the perfect time to finally take that dream trip’.
The Live and Work Anywhere Bali campaign page highlights classic digital nomad destinations in Bali, like Canggu and the Nusa Islands. There is a notable effort to promote lesser-visited areas such as Karangasem Regency, Singaraja, and Kintamani. While there is certainly a tourism presence in these areas, they generally receive just a fraction of the visitors welcomed by areas like Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak.
Minister Sandiaga Uno has issued a statement on the new partnership, sharing his hopes for the campaign’s success. He said, ‘As international travel resumes, Indonesia stands ready to welcome tourists from all around the globe, including digital nomads who wish to stay longer and work remotely here’.
‘We proudly announce that remote workers can now use the B211A visa to work and live in Indonesia for up to 6 months tax-free. We believe that our ongoing partnership with Airbnb will help drive awareness of Bali and keep us top of mind as an incredible destination for remote workers, and encourage travel to lesser-known areas across the island.’
The Head of Public Policy for Airbnb in Southeast Asia, India, and Hong Kong. Kong, and Taiwan, Mich Goh told reporters that the campaign is set to make life easier for digital nomads. Goh said, ‘Through our partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, we aim to make it easier for millions of remote workers from around the world to discover the remote working ecosystem and the attractive offerings Bali has to offer’.
Goh continued, ‘As international travel returns and working remotely becomes the new norm, there is a significant opportunity to attract a new segment of tourists, namely long-term tourists, to diversify visits to areas that are still less well known, such as to the Banjar area and the Nusa Islands, and generate greater economic opportunities for more local residents than ever before’.
For years the presence of Airbnb has been a contentious issue for many rental homeowners in Bali. While Airbnb has made life easier for many travelers and tech-savvy rental homeowners, there have been some downsides. The market has been flooded with rental properties, driving up the cost in some areas and creating a race to the bottom for those not online to try and fill their homes with tenants.
Many medium-term international residents who have been residing in Bali for years have been experiencing a shock to the system as rental costs have increased.
Nevertheless, the Indonesian government is taking significant strides in making Bali the digital nomad capital of the world. This new partnership will surely attract even more people to set up virtual offices in Bali.
