Domestic Airfare Starts to Drop, Flights to Bali Decrease by 45%

Flight Tickets Feel in Indonesia
Flight Tickets Feel in Indonesia Increasingly Expensive, Targeted to Drop by 2025
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Amid rising complaints about soaring domestic airfare prices in Indonesia, the government has taken steps to address the issue. In the latest development, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) revealed that Garuda Indonesia, the national airline, has slashed ticket prices by 45 percent for flights bound for Bali.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno shared this update during a weekly press conference held in Jakarta. He highlighted the significant price reduction for Garuda Indonesia flights, which dropped from around Rp3 million to Rp1.4-1.6 million. “This is a notable decrease of 45 percent,” Sandiaga explained, adding that these adjustments have made airfare more affordable.

The minister also discussed his communications with Garuda Indonesia’s CEO, Irfan Setiaputra, who confirmed the price cuts. However, Sandiaga noted that not all flights have benefited from the reduced fares. Certain peak hours, especially flights departing Bali late at night, still see higher prices due to high demand.

“There are certain times when prices are still high, such as flights departing from Bali at 9 PM. These popular times can’t be avoided,” Sandiaga stated.

Addressing a broader tourism issue, Sandiaga emphasized the importance of enhancing connectivity to attract more international tourists. “Connectivity is crucial for increasing international tourist arrivals to Indonesia,” he remarked.

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Bali, often referred to as Indonesia’s tourism crown jewel, continues to be the main magnet for foreign visitors. According to Dwi Marhen Yono, Director of Domestic Tourism Marketing at Kemenparekraf, Bali accounts for about 80 percent of international tourist arrivals in Indonesia.

“Bali remains the top destination for international tourists coming to Indonesia,” Dwi stated during a press conference in June 2024.

This focus on Bali is reflected in the government’s ambitious target for foreign arrivals this year. Initially set at 14.3 million visitors, the target was later revised to 17 million, reflecting the optimistic outlook following strong results in 2023. In that year alone, Bali welcomed 5.2 million international tourists, and the government has set a target of 7 million visitors for 2024.

Air connectivity is a key part of achieving these goals. As of May 2024, Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is linked to 19 domestic routes serviced by 13 airlines, and 33 international routes flown by 36 different carriers, providing a wide range of travel options for visitors.

Despite recent progress in domestic airfare reductions and increased connectivity, Sandiaga acknowledges that more work is needed to make Indonesia, especially Bali, even more accessible and attractive to global tourists. With Bali driving most of the country’s tourism, the government’s efforts to reduce travel costs and boost connectivity are seen as critical to meeting ambitious visitor targets.