The Variation of Bilingual Outdoor Signs in Tourist Attractions in Gianyar, Bali

Abstract : This research investigates the linguistic landscape (LL) of tourists attractions in Gianyar, Bali, focusing on the variation and visibility of bilingual publi c or outdoor signs in Indonesian and English. The research aims to identify the distribution of top-down and bottom-up signs and analyze their construction within the sociolinguistic context of multilingualism. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach with data collected through observation, photography, and note-taking, the research draws on Landry and Bourhis’ (1997) framework of LL, supported by Gorter (2006). The findings reveal 415 public or outdoor signs across 61 tourist attractions, categorized into five linguistic landscape of cultural, village, nature, museum, and artificial sites. Bottom-up signs predominate, indicating a strong influence of individual and commercial agency in shaping the multilingual visual space. The research underscores the symbolic and informative functions of bilingual outdoor signs and highlights the significance of LL as a medium of cultural identity negotiation in Bali’s tourism context.