Bali guide mistaken for illegal tourist worker reported to Bali Tourism Task Force

Crackdown: Tour guide Tanganelli was cleared of working illegally, after Bali locals reported seeing a Western-looking guide at Tanah Lot. Photo / Instagram

As the local Balinese government cracks down on illegal workers and tourists abusing their visas, one man has been the victim of mistaken identity.

Video of a Caucasian tour guide sparked controversy, showing him leading visitors around the temple island of Tanah Lot while dressed in traditional garb. The clip quickly went viral last week on Indonesian social media showing him in a red kain sarong and udeng headdress, apparently guiding a group of international tourists. Many assumed he was a foreign guide, working illegally.

The video of the Western-looking man immediately became the subject of vitriol. However, this weekend Indonesian Immigration officials had to issue a statement that the public outrage was misplaced, the man had every right to work in Bali.

The man, identified as Alessandro Tanganelli, was a naturalised Indonesian.

After an investigation by the Immigration Enforcement Task Force and the Bali Tour Guide Association, it was discovered that not only did Tanganelli have every right to be there, they had issued him with a tour guide licence.

Originally born in Italy, he had gained Indonesian citizenship in 2021, living with his wife Indah in Bali.

They now run a travel agency together on the island.

Since the video clip was shared last week, the Immigration Office says it had several reports via their new, anonymous hotline for reporting tourists.

Denpasar Immigration Office head Tedy Riyandi issued a media statement, thanking the public for their concern.

“The tour guide initially presumed to be a foreign citizen is named Alessandro Tanganelli. He is now an Indonesian citizen and holds a legitimate tour guide licence endorsed by HPI,” it read.

Cases of tourists illegally making money while in the Isle of the Gods have become a big issue for Bali.

Recently Indonesian immigration created a Tourism Task Force, responsible for policing the practices of international visitors. A drive to identify misbehaving visitors has seen a rise in deportations and the creation of a new hotline for locals to tip off the task force.

Since June the island has been issuing a 21-point pamphlet on good behaviour to new tourist arrivals. The dos and don’ts tell visitors to avoid wearing “unproper clothes” and to respect the conditions of their visa. It carries a warning that “offences are subject to law or deportation”.

By July, Indonesia claimed to have already deported 198 visitors to Bali for violations - more than the total for 2022.