Bali Travel Trends Show Tourists Want To Do More Than Just Relax

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Bali is a holiday resort island best known for its sun, sea, and sand. The Indonesian Minster for Tourism and Creative Economies, Sandiaga Uno, told the press this year that he wants to refocus the island’s branding to promoting ‘serenity, spirituality, and sustainability but now, travel trends reveal that visitors wish to do more than just relax.

Speaking from Jakarta, the Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, explained the department’s observations about changing travel trends.

According to Marthini, since borders reopened in February, travelers to Bali have been seeking ‘high-quality destinations’ and services that are ‘filled with activities,’ not simply hanging out on the beach as they once did. She explained, “the age range of [tourism] market consumers in Indonesia is currently dominated by the millennial generation who are hungry for knowledge and information that is interesting, concise, and clear. So, as a means of promotion, it must be catchy, concise, clear, and full of pictures”.

The Tourism Marketing specialist called on tourism leaders in Bali to keep up with travel trends, noting that the low season after the Christmas and New Year holidays is a great time to expand the services and experiences on offer. She highlighted how digitalization is the key to the success of marketing Bali as a destination.

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Marthini explained, ‘So during the low season, we shouldn’t just relax. Instead, we have to create activities so that there is traction [building] during the low season…Like it or not, we have to embrace digitalization and use it as a means of promotion [to potential visitors]”. These findings are not surprising. Earlier in the year, data showed that regenerative and adventure travel increased in popularity after the lockdown.

Tourism villages in more rural areas of Bali started to gain more interest from international visitors, despite a slow start. Regenerative tourism experiences like the Astungkara Way have seen more visits join their tours and treks in 2022.

In terms of digitization, tourism operators in Bali do see the benefit of digital marketing. The island has become somewhat synonymous with the Instagram Influencer, and it is largely working in their favor. In fact, in mid-October, the Badung Tourism Office, responsible for tourism in areas like Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, and Canggu, announced they would be investing in partnership with influencers.

Head of the Badung Tourism Office, I Nyoman Rudiarta, told reporters that his teams would be investing in building partnerships with digital marketing specialists, including bloggers, vloggers, and influencers, to ‘aggressively promote’ tourism in the travel hotspots.

Marthini’s press conference was also attended by Wachid Kuntjoro Djati, a Junior Expert Immigration Analyst at the Directorate of Immigration Traffic at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. Djati shared that Immigration and the Ministry for Tourism continue to work in partnership to ensure that the country is marketed effectively to potential foreign visitors. He highlighted that part of the work teams at Immigration Traffic track the impact the marketing campaigns have on the level of international arrivals.

When asked about the impact the visa-on-arrival fee is having on visitor numbers, Djati explained that the policy is still necessary. He explained,” this policy was implemented as an effort to recover the Indonesian economy, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as an effort to recover the [tourism] sector”.

Many tourism operators in Bali have called on the central government to crap the IDR 500,000 (USD 32) fee for the 30-day visa on arrival. In late October 2022, the Bali Tourism Association announced their opposition to the newly introduced flat fee for all visa-on-arrival visits.