The Bali Tourism Office has reported that tourist visits to Bali in January exceeded 331,000. Australian, Russian, and Indian tourists still dominate the visits. A significant increase in foreign tourist visits was seen by Russian tourists.
According to data from the Bali Tourism Office, in January 2023, Russian tourists who were previously in 10th position are now in second place with a total of 22,703 visits, higher than December 2022, which only had 19,702 visits.
This increase in visits is attributed to several factors, including the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and Bali’s readiness to receive tourists, with 70% of Bali’s population vaccinated, and Bali’s tourism support facilities certified with CHSE.
Meanwhile, tourist visits from Ukraine to Bali reached 2,633 people in January 2023, a surge of 26.5% compared to December 2022, which only had 2,080 people.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Transportation stated that direct flights from Gaoqi Xiamen Airport in China to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali have a positive impact on tourism and the economy in Bali.
China is one of Bali’s potential markets for tourism, and currently, 1,143 foreign tourists from China have visited Bali since the beginning of 2023.
The Director General of Air Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, Maria Kristi Endah Murni, said that the direct flights from China to Bali would support Bali’s tourism industry, stating that “with regular direct flights, it will certainly be very supportive.”
The Xiamen-Denpasar flight schedule is daily, and the first flight was conducted on March 3, 2023, using a Xiamen Airlines Boeing 738-800 aircraft with a capacity of 169 seats.
Previously, charter flights from Shenzhen-Denpasar were served weekly at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport by Lion Air, using a Boeing 737-900 aircraft.
Now, there are already two cities in China, Xiamen, and Shenzhen, connected directly with Bali through regular and charter flights.
Kristi hopes that flight accessibility from China to Indonesia will further encourage the recovery of the aviation sector, not only in Bali but also in other cities.
In early March 2023, Garuda Indonesia airlines also operated a weekly direct flight from Narita Tokyo Airport to SAM Ratulangi Manado Airport, with a capacity of 250 seats.
