The number of foreign tourists arriving in Bali has been steadily increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic, with one of the most rapid increases coming from Indian tourist. The Provincial Government of Bali acknowledges that Indian tourist visits to the Island of the Gods play a crucial role in revitalizing the tourism sector and the local economy.
Dewa Made Indra, the Secretary of the Provincial Government of Bali, emphasized the significant role that Indian tourists play in driving Bali’s tourism. He stressed the importance of collectively maintaining this momentum to further enhance it.
He made these remarks while inaugurating the Suryaloka (Survey of Current Bali Economy) and Tourism Talk, organized by the Representative Office of the Bank of Indonesia (KPw BI) for Bali Province.
“Tourism remains the most important sector in driving Bali’s economic engine, so it requires joint efforts, especially in opening up new markets,” Dewa Indra stated.
As of August 31, 2023, Indian tourist visits to Bali have exceeded 288,000. He expressed optimism that by the end of the year, this number would surpass 374,000. In 2019, Indian tourist visits to Bali reached 374,000.
He added that Indian tourist visits in 2020 and 2021 experienced a decline due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, these visits began to rebound in 2022.
According to him, tapping into the Indian market for Bali should not be too challenging, given the cultural similarities. This aligns with the government’s current focus on realizing high-quality tourism in Bali.
R. Erwin Soeriadimadja, the Head of the Bank of Indonesia’s Representative Office for Bali Province, stated that tourism remains the primary driver of Bali’s economy. He emphasized the need to promote quality tourism in Bali and urged all stakeholders to collaborate to achieve this goal.
“Let us work together to make high-quality tourism in Bali go global,” he said.
Local government, banking associations, and all tourism stakeholders are encouraged to focus not only on reviving tourism in Bali but also on its vital derivatives, such as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and others.
“This way, we can further strengthen Bali’s economy, make it more prosperous, and more inclusive,” said Erwin.
Destry Damayanti, Senior Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, highlighted that the agenda organized by KPw BI Bali is a tangible contribution by Bank Indonesia to the development of the tourism sector in the economy.
This initiative is expected to promote synergy between the government, academics, practitioners, and business entities in increasing tourist visits.
“We also have Bank Indonesia’s social programs, where the goal is to contribute significantly to driving sustainable economic growth,” said Destry.
Destry pointed out that the increasing number of Indian tourists has diversified Bali’s international visitor base. After the pandemic, the service sector has seen significant growth. Therefore, tourism-related sectors, such as village tourism and SMEs, need to be developed further. Bali’s close cultural proximity to India further facilitates this.
In this context, Destry also reminded Bali’s tourism operators to study the characteristics of tourists from different countries, as each nation has its unique preferences. The primary objective is to make tourists feel comfortable, leading to longer stays.
