Bali – More than 1,500 Balinese tourist industry workers took to streets of the capital, Denpasar, on Wednesday to protest government plans to revoke visa-free travel for foreign visitors.

Bali, Indonesia's premier resort island, relies heavily on tourism and many say Jakarta plans will crush efforts to revive the industry after it was devastated by the Oct. 12 Bali terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq and the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak (SARS).

"Our tourist industry has not recovered yet. The government need to delay this plan," said Made Suriawan, an organizer of the protest.

On March 31, President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed the decree allowing free entry only to citizens of those countries affording the same privilege to Indonesians. However, the law has not been enforced so far.

The new rule would scrap visa-free travel for visitors from 48countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia and the European Union. Their citizens will have to pay US$50 for a 30-day nonrenewable visa upon arrival in Indonesia, although the price may be revised.

Suriawan said the government needs to rethink whether Australian and Japanese visitors, who make up the bulk of visitors to Bali, should be charged.

Only visitors from 11 countries and territories – Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macao, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey – will be allowed entry without visas.

Indonesia introduced visa-free travel in 1983 in an effort to attract more foreign tourists. But officials say it has often been abused by foreigners who work illegally or are engaged in other activities in Indonesia.