Bali’s Lake Batur and Kintamani Set for Sustainable Tourism Boom with New Eco-Cruise and Green Attractions

Bali’s Lake Batur in Kintamani is set to enter a new phase of visitor experiences following a cooperation agreement led by Bangli Regency. The government has confirmed a plan to introduce a leisure cruise on the caldera lake, alongside a suite of new attractions, with the project positioned as part of the area’s broader tourism upgrade. The Kintamani–Lake Batur area is formally designated a National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN), underscoring its importance in provincial and national planning.

A government‑led partnership with clean‑energy targets

Bangli Regency’s region‑owned enterprise—Perusda Bhukti Mukti Bhakti (BMB)—has signed a memorandum of understanding with GMS Invest International of South Korea, with Kanavi Mobility Co. Ltd. joining as an implementation partner. The initial program centers on a leisure cruise at Lake Batur, complemented by electric‑powered recreational offerings. Project proponents state the transport elements will leverage renewable or low‑emission energy, including hydrogen, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and solar, to cut carbon intensity and modernize visitor mobility.

BMB’s mandate as a government enterprise is established in Bangli’s legal documentation, providing the institutional basis for the company to run public‑interest businesses. The Regency’s legal repository notes the creation and organizational structure of the enterprise, which operates under regional regulations and decrees.

What’s coming to the caldera

Beyond the lake cruise, the cooperation framework outlines electric water‑based activities, an electric tourist train, sky capsules, and rail bikes to re‑shape how visitors move through and experience Kintamani’s volcanic landscape. The intent is to diversify products, extend length of stay, and distribute benefits beyond pre‑dawn trekking to Mount Batur’s rim.

Why Lake Batur and Kintamani matter

Lake Batur is Bali’s largest lake, nestled beneath Mount Batur and Mount Abang, and long recognized for cool upland landscapes and cultural landmarks. The province’s tourism office profiles the lake—and nearby Ulun Danu Batur Temple—as key draws within Bangli Regency’s uplands, reflecting both scenic and spiritual significance. These features help explain the region’s strategic status in the tourism portfolio.

Existing hospitality assets already anchor visitation around the lakeshore, including hot‑spring and resort facilities listed in provincial directories. This established base supports the case for new mobility and recreation products that can be integrated—subject to planning approvals—into the destination’s visitor flow.

Guardrails: policy, planning and environmental stewardship

While tourism development is advancing, policy guardrails are explicit. Bangli’s 2023–2043 spatial plan (RTRW) sets out that Kintamani’s Effective Tourism Area (KEP) is part of the KSPN Kintamani–Danau Batur, and frames the destination as ecotourism‑led, culturally grounded, and environmentally sustainable. The same legal text also highlights the Pura Batur sacred area and Lake Batur ecosystem as strategic zones, emphasizing protection of spiritual sites and ecological integrity within development decisions.

Environmental stewardship is further underscored at the national level. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) lists Lake Batur among Indonesia’s 15 national priority lakes for restoration. This status reflects ongoing concerns—from water quality to shoreline management—and signals that any new infrastructure must align with multi‑agency programs to rehabilitate and protect lake ecosystems.

Clean‑energy credentials and local capability

Bangli’s public enterprise has prior experience interfacing with new and renewable energy projects, with the national energy ministry recording a power purchase agreement for an EBT (renewable) facility managed by the enterprise. Those precedents provide relevant institutional knowledge for a lake‑based mobility project that aims to adopt hydrogen, LNG, and solar technologies.

Cultural philosophy as a compass

Bali’s development vision—“Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali”—calls for maintaining the sanctity and harmony of nature and society in every policy arena. This provincial compass aligns with what the RTRW prescribes for Kintamani: an ecotourism orientation that respects sacred landscapes and community life. As planning advances, adherence to these principles remains central to project appraisal and permitting.

What visitors can expect next

With the MoU in place, technical designs and regulatory processes will determine sequencing, routing, energy systems, and capacity management on the lake. The government’s stated aim is to introduce low‑emission mobility and attractions that complement Kintamani’s treks, temples, hot springs, and viewpoints—without compromising the lake’s ecological recovery or the sanctity of associated cultural sites. The KSPN and RTRW frameworks, plus KLHK’s priority‑lake designation, provide a structured pathway for reviews and public coordination as details are finalized.

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