Bali Event Organizers Deny Discriminating Against Indonesians

An event organizing committee in Canggu, Bali, has denied allegations of discriminating against Indonesian citizens after reports surfaced of individuals being turned away from their events. The group, known as Entourage, stated in an Instagram post that they regret any offense caused and never intended to disrespect or discriminate against anyone.

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First and foremost, we are deeply sorry for the offense and hurt caused, and we never intended to disrespect or discriminate against anyone.

Entourage explained that it was founded to connect digital nomads new to Bali, aiming to facilitate enjoyable activities for them. They emphasized that being a digital nomad is not defined by nationality, and their community includes members from various countries, including Indonesia. While some of their events are always open and free, others have specific participation criteria based on their purpose, such as events designed exclusively for digital nomads or women.

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Some of our events are always open and free for anyone to join, while others have participation requirements based on the purpose of the event.

The committee clarified that their running club is generally free and open to everyone. However, a recent paid event, the Disco Silent Run, faced criticism. They admitted that while Indonesian participants made up 25 percent of attendees, technical issues with automatic WhatsApp group approvals and non-active events led to some Indonesian numbers being "incorrectly rejected." Entourage affirmed its commitment to building an inclusive community and contributing positively to Bali, citing weekly collaborations with local businesses and charities.

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Although we tried to create a place where digital nomads can meet, there was a bias that caused some (and not all) +62/Indonesian numbers to be incorrectly rejected.

In response to the controversy, Entourage has temporarily suspended all its events and activities. They have taken full responsibility for the incident and pledged to make tangible changes moving forward. The issue initially gained traction after screenshots circulated showing a selection process that appeared to be based on nationality.

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We are temporarily halting all our events and activities. We take full responsibility for what has happened and promise to make real changes moving forward.