Resident perceptions can have an increasingly important impact on the
sustainability of a tourism destination. This purpose of this study was to examine the
local resident’s perception of Bali, Indonesia and associated images of Bali as a
tourism destination. With the rapid growth of tourism in Bali, it is important to
benchmark resident’s perceptions in order to understand the area of strengths and
weaknesses. This study utilized existing survey data that examined 221 Bali residents
on how they perceived tourism development. With increasing access and usage of
mobile technology, opportunities exist to connect traditionally disadvantaged
residents with tourism related entrepreneurship activities as well as non-traditional
competitive workforce development training programs. As the complexity of
relationships among stakeholders increases in rapidly developing areas of tourism
development, an understanding of the host-guest relationship is at the heart of
sustainability, and among one of the most important assets for the sustainability of
Bali as a tourism destination. Informed understanding can help facilitate resident
participation, competitiveness, guide policy makers, and build an inclusive approach
among local residents to ensure a positive quality of life.