Bali Exploding In Popularity As It Sees Over A Million International Passengers In A Single Month

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Bali Airport is getting busier and busier as the demand for travel to Bali grows.

New data reveals that I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is the busiest airport managed by the state-owned enterprise Angkasa Pura in Indonesia, serving over 7.8 million passengers so far this year.

The Main Director of Angkasa Pura, I Faik Fahmi, explained that over the last five months, the fifteen airports managed by state-owned enterprises have served 26.9 million passengers. This total is a 49% increase in passengers compared to the number of travel movements served during the same period in 2022. 

Fahmi explained, “This year, we, as managers of 15 airports, have recorded a positive trend in serving service users. There is almost double growth compared to the previous year.”

The data shows that since the beginning of the year, Ngurah Rai Airport has served 7,817,316 passengers, which can be broken down into 3,638,822 passengers on domestic routes and 4,178,494 passengers on international routes.

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It should be noted, however, that data shared by Fahmi accumulates every single passenger movement, so the number of individual travelers will be less as both inbound and outbound passenger movements are counted accumulatively. 

A further breakdown of the new travel data was shared by the General Manager of Bali Airport, Handy Heryudhitiawan, shows that during May alone, Bali Airport “served 804,613 domestic passengers, with details of 397,457 arriving passengers and 407,156 departing passengers.”

“Then, on international routes, [we] served 947,506 international passengers with details of 468,874 arriving passengers and 478,632 departing passengers.”

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Clearly, the data for May 2023 at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport shows a huge hike in demand for travel to the Island of the Gods compared to earlier in the year.

This news will be well received by tourism stakeholders who have been publicly voicing their concerns about the impact of deportations, the deployment of a tourism task force, and the increase in viral videos having a negative impact on the public image of the island.

Over one million international passenger movements in one month is a huge deal for Bali.

Especially when considering that the island has tourism targets of welcoming 4.5 million international visitors this year. The island is well on track to not only meet but surpass tourism targets.

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So demand for travel to Bali continued to rise; what does this mean for tourists planning their visits?

One way to look at it is that despite the announcements about policy changes that may impact tourists to the island, the introduction of new guidelines for tourists, and even rumors of changes to the visa-on-arrival system, that actually Bali really is open, welcoming, and happy to have tourists landing on the island. 

Even during the announcement of the new travel data, Fahmi concluded, “Obviously, this is something to be grateful for.”

Data shared by the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office shows that 109,875 Australian citizens arrived at Bali Airport in May, making them the most frequent international visitors to the island.

Australians were followed by Indian tourists, a total of 48,652 people, and Chinese visitors, 24,146 people.

The island remained as open and as welcoming as ever and provided tourists respect for the local law and culture; there is so much value to be gained from visiting Bali. 

Whether looking for a chilled-out beach vacation in up-and-coming Uluwatu or diving right into the heart of the action in Canggu, there is a little corner of Bali for every kind of traveler.

Travel data revealed earlier in the year shows that tourists to Bali are seeking to do more than just sunbathe and sip on cocktails.

There is so much to explore, from family-friendly day trips around Ubud to the culturally abundant tourism villages in Sidemen, Munduk, and Serangan Island and the hidden coves and bays of Nusa Penida Island.

Whether you’re up for an adventure or down to relax and unwind, Bali is ready and waiting for you this holiday season.