FILE PHOTO: Sunset at Nusa Dua in 2024. Domestic tourists, most of whom come from Java, are increasingly turning to destinations on the island, citing better and more developed infrastructure. - dpa
BALI: Bali has seen a decline in domestic tourist arrivals this year, as local travelers increasingly flock to alternative and closer destinations.
Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said the number of domestic tourists was projected to fall from 10.1 million last year to just 9.2 million by Dec. 31, as there were only 9.1 million domestic arrivals through Dec. 22.
He attributed the decline to a reduced number of domestic flights, noting that several aircraft operated by national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and its subsidiary Citilink are currently undergoing maintenance, leaving limited flights to the island.
“This is one of the factors behind the decline in domestic tourist visits to Bali. The number of available flights is decreasing, but the seats remain fully booked,” he said on Sunday (Dec 28), as quoted by news agency Antara.
According to data compiled by the Bali provincial administration from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Garuda Indonesia has reduced the number of aircraft serving Bali from 11 to nine, while Citilink has cut its fleet by nearly half, from 11 to six, due to maintenance.
“That’s why flights to Bali are always full, making it difficult for people who want to fly to Bali because of the limited number of flights,” Koster added.
He also acknowledged that domestic tourists, most of whom come from Java, are increasingly turning to destinations on the island, citing better and more developed infrastructure, such as toll roads that improve road access for travellers.
However, Koster stressed that the resort island would focus more on attracting international visitors, expecting an increase of 700,000 foreign arrivals by year-end. Inbound tourism to Bali has climbed by 600,000 as of Dec. 26 and is expected to reach 7.05 million arrivals by the end of the year.
“This will have a significant impact on economic activity. So if you say that Bali is quiet, the data says otherwise. In fact, it is quite busy,” Koster said.
Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana has also raised concerns about the decline in domestic tourism in Bali, noting that widespread reports about weather conditions on the island, among other factors, have affected travel preferences.
She emphasised that the decline was not driven by Bali’s waning appeal, but rather by public perception of unfavourable weather conditions and the emergence of alternative tourism destinations.
Domestic tourists are increasingly opting for destinations in parts of Java, she said, with Yogyakarta recording a spike in arrivals.
“Bali is not quiet. It remains busy, but with only a slight two percent decrease [in domestic tourism],” she said on Friday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
The drop in domestic tourist arrivals in Bali contrasts with Indonesia’s overall tourism trend, which has surged to a record high this year. The Tourism Ministry reported that domestic trips rose 18.89 percent year-on-year to 997.91 million as of October and are projected to reach 1.21 billion by year-end, surpassing the pre-pandemic level of 722 million trips recorded in 2019.
Meanwhile, foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia are expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels, with the figure projected to rise to 15.31 million by year-end.
While this would extend the annual increase in cumulative foreign arrivals since 2021, it would still fall short of of the pre-pandemic peak of 16.1 million visitors recorded in 2019. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
