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Domestic travelers ‘not enough’ to revive Bali tourism
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Tourists walk along Berawa Beach in Badung, Bali, on June 19, 2020. (Antara/Nyoman Hendra Wibowo)
B
ali’s tourist sector has been relying on domestic travelers since the government closed the borders at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this approach has not been enough to support the industry, especially accommodation businesses.
The number of trips to Bali by domestic travelers rose by 19.81 percent to 8.61 million in 2020, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show. Over the same period, foreign arrivals at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport plunged by 83.02 percent to 1.05 million.
The increase in domestic arrivals can be attributed largely to people moving to Bali temporarily while office occupancy in Jakarta and elsewhere was reduced to stem the pandemic. The Tourism Ministry coined the Work-from-Bali initiative, and the government chose Bali for numerous events to support the island’s tourism.
Maulana Yusran, secretary-general of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said businesses in some regions, such as Bali and Bintan in Riau Islands, could not replace foreign tourists with domestic travelers as a source of income.
“It’s okay for regions with a large contribution from domestic travelers, but not for regions with a large contribution from foreign tourists,” Maulana told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on Jan. 12.
Bali, a popular destination for foreign tourists, has been hit hard since the pandemic forced the government to close the borders in early 2020.
Read also: Tourism ministry banks on G20 to rekindle Bali’s allure
