The Indonesian Food and Beverage Executive Association (IFBEC) DPD Bali has officially established a strategic collaboration with several local tourism higher education institutions. This step was taken as a concrete response to the rapid flow of foreign investment in the food and beverage (F&B) sector, which is increasingly dominating the tourism market of the Island of the Gods.
The partnership was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between IFBEC Bali and Mediterranean Bali, Atlantis International College, and Triatma Mulya University. This important momentum took place during a member gathering at Truntum Kuta, Badung, which was attended by central and regional management boards as well as various supporting associations of the hospitality industry.
The Chairman of IFBEC DPD Bali, I Wayan Eka Darmawan, revealed that the competency gap of the local workforce remains a fundamental challenge. Many fresh graduates are deemed not yet meeting industry standards, particularly in foreign language proficiency, work ethics, and basic restaurant operational understanding. Through this cooperation, practitioners from IFBEC will directly enter the academic world as mentors to align the curriculum with industry dynamics.
On the other hand, the expansion of foreign direct investment in tourism metropolitan areas such as Canggu, Seminyak, and Uluwatu does bring positive trends in the form of culinary innovations and global service standards. Nonetheless, the large flow of capital triggers inflation in land lease prices and increases competitive pressure for local culinary business players.
In addition to capital competition, IFBEC also highlighted potential legal violations such as nominee practices, where foreign business ownership administratively uses the identities of local citizens. Nevertheless, strict supervision from the government through the integrated licensing system (OSS) and foreign investment regulations is deemed to start being effective in curbing such deviations.
With the projected growth of Bali's culinary industry remaining positive until the end of 2026, synergy between the business world, academics, and the government is expected to produce a competitive local workforce. IFBEC reaffirms its support for healthy and law-abiding foreign investment in order to build a fair tourism ecosystem for the Balinese community.
