Hasto Receives Padma Dharma Sandhi as Bali Pushes for New Tourism Growth Hub in the North

Puri leaders urge political cooperation to ease pressure on South Bali and advance the proposed North Bali International Airport in Kubutambahan

GIANYAR — Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Hasto Kristiyanto, received the Padma Dharma Sandhi insignia at Puri Ageng Blahbatuh, Gianyar, on Sunday, August 30, 2026, in a gathering that brought together traditional leaders from across Bali.

The award was presented as a symbol of reconciliation, dialogue and the effort to build common ground amid political and social differences.

The ceremony took place after a joint prayer in front of the Gajah Mada Mask, attended by approximately 13 penglingsir representing royal houses and traditional leadership circles across Bali. The meeting subsequently developed into a broader discussion on Indonesia’s political direction, Bali’s future and the need for more balanced economic development.

The gathering came as Indonesia’s economy continues to expand. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported that the national economy grew 5.29 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, while first-semester growth reached 5.45 percent.

However, the participants argued that economic growth must be accompanied by stronger distribution of development, better-quality employment, poverty reduction and greater public confidence in democratic institutions.

For the Puri leaders, politics should not be reduced to competition between interests. Political power, they argued, should also serve as a mechanism for bringing different groups together and finding solutions to problems affecting society.

That perspective formed part of the rationale behind Hasto’s reception of the Padma Dharma Sandhi.

Anak Agung Ngurah Ugrasena, known as Ugroseno, Penglingsir Puri Agung Singaraja or Puri Gde Buleleng, said Hasto’s political position gives him an opportunity to help channel regional aspirations through national political institutions.

“Bali has been developing for too long with a concentration of growth in the southern region. Airports, hotels, entertainment centers, investment and much of international tourism activity have accumulated in Badung and Denpasar, creating an excessive concentration of tourists in a limited area,” Ugroseno said.

The pressure on South Bali is reflected in the scale of traffic through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. The airport recorded 23.9 million passengers in 2024, including 14.1 million international passengers and 9.8 million domestic passengers.

The figures demonstrate Bali’s strength as an international tourism destination, but they also underline the importance of managing carrying capacity and distributing tourism activity more evenly across the island.

Ugroseno believes Bali needs to shift its development model by giving greater opportunities to the northern, eastern and western regions.

This is where the proposed North Bali International Airport in the Kubutambahan area of Buleleng has become an important part of the discussion.

For the Puri leaders, the airport should not be viewed merely as a transportation project. It could become a strategic instrument for creating a new economic center, distributing tourism flows and reducing pressure on South Bali.

“We are not talking about the interests of one particular region. We are talking about the future of Bali. If development continues to be concentrated in the south, environmental, social and economic pressures will become increasingly severe,” said Ugroseno, who also serves as Secretary of the Majelis Paiketan Puri-Puri Se-Jebag Bali.

The proposal comes against the backdrop of Indonesia’s broader tourism ambitions. BPS recorded 15.39 million international visitor arrivals in Indonesia during 2025, an increase of 10.8 percent from 2024.

Hasto said he viewed the Padma Dharma Sandhi not simply as a personal honor but as a responsibility to build bridges across differences.

“I accept this award not only as a personal honor, but as a mandate. Padma Dharma Sandhi carries a message about building relationships and creating understanding amid differences. This is highly relevant to our national life,” Hasto said.

He stressed that democracy should produce more than political differences.

“Differences are part of democracy. But once those differences exist, we must find common ground. Politics must become a means of solving people’s problems, not adding to them,” he said.

Hasto also said he would carry the aspirations expressed by the Puri leaders through the political channels available to him.

“If the Puri leaders convey Bali’s need for more equitable development, to reduce the burden on South Bali and create a new growth center in North Bali, those aspirations must be heard. I will fight for them through the political channels available to me,” Hasto said.

He further called on the Bali provincial government to listen to the aspirations of the traditional leaders.

“I hope the Bali regional government will pay attention to and support the aspirations of the Kings of Bali. They are conveying what they see and experience from the community. Therefore, the government must listen and find the best solution,” he said.

The discussion also touched on Bali’s waste management, traffic congestion and infrastructure development, with the participants emphasizing the importance of aligning development with the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana.

Hasto also linked the discussion to the long-term development direction of Bali and the need to ensure that economic interests do not overshadow the island’s cultural and spiritual character.

Meanwhile, Balinese public figure Nyoman Tirtawan offered a broader perspective on Indonesia’s tourism infrastructure.

He argued that Indonesia needs a major aviation hub capable of connecting international arrivals with destinations across the archipelago.

“Indonesia needs a Tourism Hub Airport, a major airport that works in synergy with other airports across Indonesia as the main gateway to various destinations,” Tirtawan said.

He described the proposed concept as the Nusantara Tourism Hub Airport, where large volumes of international passengers could arrive at a primary gateway before being distributed through connecting flights to destinations such as Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

“Large numbers of passengers arriving at the main airport can then be distributed through connecting flights to other destinations such as Sulawesi, NTB, NTT and elsewhere,” he said.

Tirtawan said the concept should be viewed not merely as an aviation project but as a national tourism strategy capable of spreading economic benefits beyond established tourism centers.

“Tourists bring money to tourism destinations. If we want more money to enter the regions, we must increase tourism,” he said.

The proposal for a new aviation hub therefore intersects with the broader debate over Bali’s future: whether the island should continue relying heavily on South Bali as the primary tourism gateway or develop a more distributed model in which North Bali and other regions become new centers of economic activity.

For the Puri leaders, the Padma Dharma Sandhi awarded to Hasto ultimately carries a message beyond the ceremony itself — that political differences should become an opportunity for dialogue, while political influence should be directed toward solving public problems and building a more balanced future for Bali and Indonesia.

Editor: Ray

From North Bali for the Nusantara.