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Bali Businesses Hope To See Return Of Chinese Tourists In 2023

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Business owners in Bali have told reporters that they are hopeful that direct flights from mainland China to Bali will resume in 2023. Travelers from mainland China have not yet been permitted to travel for tourism purposes to Indonesia, and business owners on the island are banking on that changing by early next year.

Chinese Tourists Explore Coastal Area Of Bali.

Before the pandemic, Bali welcomed over one million visitors from China annually. In 2018 the island received 1,363,963 travelers from China, and a further 1,185,519 million in 2019. The slight drop off in numbers in 2019 can be attributed to the early travel restrictions imposed in China at the outbreak of the pandemic. 

Chinese Tourists Climb Up Stairs Towards Bali Temple

Speaking to reporters, Wisnu Aribawa, who owns a travel business, explained that he hopes tourists from mainland China will be allowed to return by the Chinese New Year. During the Luna New Year Festival, there is typically a lull in arrivals to Bali from Europe, North America, and Australia.

Aribawa explained that the Chinese New Year holidays are an excellent opportunity for tourism businesses in Bali. He also shared his thoughts on global politics’ impact on the Island of the Gods. ‘The Russo-Ukrainian war certainly has an effect on the economy due to the increasing cost of flight tickets’.

Chinese New Year Lanterns Hang Over Road In Indonesia

Nevertheless, Aribawa is hopeful. He said, ‘We hope that in January next year Chinese tourists will come to Bali’. He noted that since levels of Covid-19 are under control on the island and the vaccine rollout has been successful, perhaps tourists from China could be the missing link in completing the revival of the tourism economy. 

Tourism is undoubtedly heading in the right direction for business owners like Aribawa. Taiwan’s Eva Air has resumed direct flights from Denpasar to Taipei. The return of Eva Air to the tarmac of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport was celebrated this week with a water cannon salute. Traditional Balinese dancers and souvenirs welcomed the crew and passengers into the terminal. 

Eva Air Airplane Taxiing On Airport Tarmac Runway

The General Manager for Bali Airport, Handy Heryudhitiawan, was very enthusiastic about the airline’s return. He said, ‘Of course, this can be one of the triggers for the increase in various choices of routes and airlines, especially on international flights, which currently continue to show a significant increase, so that air transport traffic statistics will also increase in October 2022’.

Airplane Comes Into Land Over Bali Sea At Bali Airport Runway

Eva Air is the second airline to be offering a direct Denpasar-Taipei route after China Airlines resumed its service in September this year. Heryudhitiawan told reporters, ‘The Taipei route has previously been served by China Airlines, which according to its schedule flies every Tuesday and Friday’. He confirmed that the Eva Air route will be offered daily by November. 

Heryudhitiawan was excited by the opportunity to welcome more travelers from Taiwan. He said ‘in the future, the airline’s plans are optimistic that it will continue to grow, seeing the data on normal flights arriving for Taiwanese citizens during 2019 as many as 116,099 so that we continue to maintain the trust of service users to ensure that the requirements are in accordance with government regulations’. 

China-Airlines-PLane-Flught-Through-Blue-Sky

The General Manager has a big job on his hands in the coming weeks as Bali Airport prepares to welcome heads of state from the world’s twenty biggest economies and their delegations. While he is hopeful tourist arrivals will continue to rise in October, there will be a guaranteed surge in international visitors in mid-November. 

Entrance-To-Bali-Airport

As the G20 Summit will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, there is speculation that travel restrictions for Chinese tourists to Indonesia may change after the event. The G20 Summit will be held in Nusa Dua on the 15th and 16th of November. Though there are dozens of meetings, workgroups, and smaller conferences throughout October and November across Bali.

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William

Sunday 9th of October 2022

Transmart , Carrefour on Sunset road desperately needs the Chinese back ! They ate and shopped there in droves. The great restaurant there cannot reopen until they're back...and Mr.Denis the pastry chef agrees...

Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck

Friday 7th of October 2022

You have got to be joking. The worst tourists for Bali ever!!!!! The Chinese buy a package in CHINA. They pay for the airline tickets their hotels,meals even their souvenirs and all the money stays in China. Then the travel companies come to Bali and buy the hotels and restaurants they use. They pay the Indonesian workers very little and the tour groups in China make all the money. It would be better to ban all Chinese tourist that come in groups. That is the truth . They do not support local businesses.

Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck

Sunday 9th of October 2022

@Ben, Yep so true. I like the people but the tour companies are a F-ing cancer to the Balinese people. NO MORE TOUR GROUPS!!!!!!!!!!!

Ben

Saturday 8th of October 2022

@Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck, Exactly. I'd be happy if they stayed away behind their eternal lockdown.

They bring noting of value to Indonesia. They own their own hotels, restaurants, ships, everything. The chance of a group tourist from china spending even 1 million IDR in a week locally is near zero.

I have nothing against the people of China, individual travelers are often very nice and well spoken people with a genuine interest in culture, cuisine, art, architecture etc. It's the package tour groups that ruin it.

Paul Morris

Saturday 8th of October 2022

@Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck, Absolutely agree with your comments they do not contribute anything to the Balinese economy.

Karen North

Friday 7th of October 2022

Bali does not need the Chinese tourist. They don't use taxis, they don't rent villas or even book in multiple hotels, they don't shop or eat in the streets. They are herded into Chinese hotels, eat at Chinese food barns, shop at Chinese owned outlets. They don't even use the rupiah, they buy shopping tokens. Bali does not need them. Even if they stayed in empty Kuta, it doesn't help the shop people there.

Wayan Bobby

Friday 16th of December 2022

@Karen North, I'm sorry, but you sound arrogant. Bali welcomes all well-behaved tourists from all over the world.

Unlike crazy BULE, Chinese tourists are polite and organized. They use travel agencies that work together with our local agency to book the trip, the hotel & the villas, the bus and the car, the boats they use to go to Lembongan & Penida, the restaurants, local amusement activities, all of these all operated by locals. And they shop a lot, more than you ever know.

They don't eat on the streets was because their tour guide prohibit them. Why? Because, if they were poisoned by the street food, the responsible will be all on their tour guide to blame.

In Kuta, they were just spending the remaining time before they went to airport to go back to their country.

BULE comes to Bali, book their own trip, backpacking, eat western food not Nasi Lawar, or our traditional cuisine, some of them eat Nasi Goreng everyday because it is cheap and tastes good. They stayed on BULE community village, shop at BULE guy owned outlets, rent locals motorbike and destroy it, unlike Chinese tourists where ever they go they pay a good price for the rented vehicle and make sure the vehicle doesn't go wrecked. They don't go around shouting, or striping their clothes while riding a bike.

Wayan Bo

Friday 7th of October 2022

Anyway, prefer those from Taiwan.

Exp

Thursday 6th of October 2022

Appears the plan is to get back to 2019 crowd as fast as possible? One difference is the major price hikes for many things here.

Focus on "quality tourists", "sustainable and spiritual tourism" is not going to happen then?

I came here during 2020. Looks like it is about time to pack up and leave.