Bali Foreign Investment Advisory Service (BFIAS) welcomes a landmark moment in Indonesia’s tourism investment landscape — one that reflects years of dedicated community building, strategic advocacy, and a firm belief that progressive collaboration between government and quality investors is the foundation of sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
“Indonesia is not only Bali. We have many outstanding destinations with enormous tourism and investment potential, waiting to be developed responsibly and sustainably.” — Ibu Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia |
A Vision That Began With a Conversation
BFIAS founder Robert Beard has long championed a straightforward principle: quality long-term investors in Bali deserve direct connection to, and meaningful support from, Indonesia’s central government. That conviction led to a pivotal conversation in May 2025 between Robert Beard and Ibu Rizki Handayani, then in her capacity as Plt. Deputy of Industry and Investment at the Ministry of Tourism.
In that meeting, Robert proposed that long-term investors in Bali should be formally connected to and supported by the central government — a missing bridge that was limiting Indonesia’s ability to capture the full value of committed international capital. From that conversation, an idea took shape. The Bali Tourism and Investment Chamber (BTIC) was born.
A Historic Meeting: Government Listens, Investors Engage
On Friday, 30 May 2026, at the Investor Roundtable 2026 held at Piasan Restaurant, Nusa Dua, Bali, a landmark meeting took place. For the first time, the BTIC board, investors, and Balinese stakeholders from both government and industry came together with three of Indonesia’s most influential women in tourism policy:
▶ Ibu Widiyanti Putri Wardhana — Minister of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia
▶ Ibu Rizki Handayani — Plt. Deputy of Industry and Investment, Ministry of Tourism
▶ Ibu Ni Made Ayu Marthini — Deputy for Marketing, Ministry of Tourism
Together they discussed the investment challenges that exist in Bali today, explored strategies to grow tourism and investment into the government’s priority destinations beyond Bali, and examined how Indonesia can build a truly inclusive and sustainable economy across the archipelago.
This meeting is a powerful signal to the tourism and investment community: the Indonesian government is listening, and it wants committed investors as partners in building an inclusive, competitive, and sustainable national economy.
The Government’s Investment Vision: Beyond Bali
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism recorded 15.39 million international visitor arrivals, with nearly 7 million of those concentrated in Bali — a testament to Bali’s enduring draw as the heart of Indonesia’s tourism economy. Yet this concentration also underscores the strategic imperative the Ministry has identified: investment must be spread more equitably across the nation.
The Ministry has prioritised the development of 10 Priority Tourism Destinations and a series of Regenerative Tourism Destinations as new engines of national growth. The government’s stated goals for this investment push include:
- Driving economic growth across regions outside Bali
- Creating quality new employment for local communities
- Increasing community prosperity through more equitable distribution of economic benefit
- Strengthening a sustainable and inclusive tourism investment ecosystem
- Positioning Indonesia at the forefront of global sustainable tourism trends
Where BFIAS Plays Its Role
Robert Beard founded BFIAS on the belief that strategic collaborations between progressive government leaders and quality investors are not a luxury — they are the engine of community prosperity. A thriving community requires government officials willing to listen, and investors willing to commit for the long term.
BFIAS bridges this relationship. As a trusted advisory service operating at the intersection of foreign investment, local governance, and community impact, BFIAS exists to:
▶ Connect quality international investors with the right government counterparts at both central and local levels
▶ Navigate the complexities of Indonesian investment regulation with clarity and integrity
▶ Advocate for investor perspectives that align with Indonesia’s national development goals
▶ Support the growth of an ASEAN-competitive, inclusive, and sustainable investment climate in Bali and beyond
The formation of BTIC — born directly from BFIAS advocacy — and its first formal engagement with three of the Ministry of Tourism’s senior leaders is proof that this model of respectful, evidence-based, investor-led dialogue can shape policy and open doors.
| The government is listening. Bali and Indonesia are ready for the next generation of investors who believe in building something that lasts — for communities, for the environment, and for the economy. I have always believed in a time when Indonesia will be led by talented women leaders, and that’s what was demonstrated clearly by Ibu Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Ibu Rizki Handayani Mustafa, Ni Made Ayu Marthini” — Robert Beard, Founder of BFIAS. |
About BFIAS
Bali Foreign Investment Advisory Service (BFIAS) is a Bali-based national advisory boutique firm guiding international investors through the opportunities and complexities of investing in Indonesia.
Founded by Robert Beard at the request of the then-Chairwoman of the Indonesian Ministry of Investment (BKPM), BFIAS was established in June 2020 as a direct response to Bali’s challenging economic situation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Robert brings over thirty years of network across Indonesia, with deep relationships spanning senior women in business and government — including within the Ministry of Investment (BKPM), Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Immigration, Ministry of Law & Human Rights, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade, and KADIN Indonesia (Indonesia’s national chamber of commerce). BFIAS operates at the intersection of foreign investment, government relations, and meaningful community impact — providing strategic counsel that serves both investor success and Indonesia’s national development goals.
BFIAS actively supports community impact initiatives including the Women’s Investment and Entrepreneur Community Indonesia (WIEC), the Women in ESG and Sustainability Symposium (WESS), and a Single Mothers and Children programme in partnership with the IDEP Foundation Bali.
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