Bali Wants Even More Australian Tourists To Visit The Island

Share The Article

The number of foreigners arriving in Bali in 2023 has reached over 5.2 million people.

Australian tourists are still topping the charts as the most frequent international holidaymakers to the island.

Leaders want to welcome yet more Aussies to the Island of the Gods in 2024.

This week, the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, met with the Australian Consul General, HE Jo Stevens, at the Bali Governor’s Office in Denpasar.

Acting Governor Mahendra Jaya shared his hopes that the friendship and cooperation between Australia and Bali can continue to be improved and developed across sectors. 

@luxury.escapes BEST places to visit in Bali this 2023 🇮🇩 #bali #travelbali #luxuryescapes ♬ original sound – Luxury Escapes

According to data from the data from the Bali Province Tourism Office, the five countries with the most amount of visitors to Bali are Australia with 1,201,652 people in 2023, followed by India with 394,428 people. In third is China with 253,255 tourists heading to Bali.

In fourth place 236,250 British tourists visited Bali and completing the top five are US tourists 229,606 arrivals in 2023. 

Acting Governor Mahendra Jaya told reporters, “In the future, we hope that the number of Australian foreign tourists visiting Bali will continue to increase along with the increasing cooperative relations between Bali and Australia.”

@backpackersasia Here our 3 weeks itinerary in Bali, Indonesia. For backpackers and nature lovers 🤍 We went to Depensar and had fun at Kuta Beach 🏄‍♀️. Ubud and enjoy its terrace ricefields and its temples. 🌾 Amed for scuba diving 🐟 Gili Trawangan, Meno and Air for the wonderful turtles and underwater statues. 🐢 and Nusa penida and the incredible beaches and landscapes 🏝️ If you want more details check our profile and follow us for more ❤️ #bali #amedbeach #scubadiving #ubud #ricefield #turtle #monkeyforest #itinerarytravel #itinerarybali #backpacking #gilitrawangan #giliairisland #gilimenostatue #lombok #nusapenida #beach #indonesia #foryou #pourtoi #ypシ ♬ Vacation – Dirty Heads

The pair spoke at length about building new cooperative ventures between Bali and Australia, as well as the soon-to-be-introduced Bali tourism tax.

The Acting Governor said “We hope that the Australian Consul General can help us in conducting outreach to Australian citizens regarding the implementation of this levy, we have prepared the procedures and systems and we ask for assistance so that Australian citizens.

“Those who will travel to Bali understand the application of these levies.”

HE Jo Stevens replied, “Bali is like a ‘second home’ for our citizens, we are very grateful for all the hospitality of the Balinese people so that our citizens feel safe and comfortable traveling in Bali. In the future, we hope that our cooperation and friendship will become even closer.”

@vivianyunn see you soon bali!🌴🌼❤️ #balitips #balitravel #balitiktok #travelbali #solotravel #bali #uluwatu #canggu #nusapenida ♬ Au Revoir – Sweet After Tears

The Bali Tourism Tax will be introduced on the 14th of February 2024, the same day as the Indonesian General Election.

The mandatory IDR 150,000 per person tax will be payable online or on arrival at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Officials have confirmed that the payment will take just 23 seconds to pay by card. 

The tourism tax has been well socialized, with plenty of dialogue about the new fee circulating online.

Many tourists have shared their neutrality about the tax, not minding paying the extra fee, but for many Bali lovers, the additional fees are adding up and starting to make them look at vacation options elsewhere. 

Some regular Bali tourists, especially those from Australia, have noted that the new IDR 150,000 fee is yet another cost to consider when budgeting a trip.

At the moment, Australian tourists and travelers from 96 other nations must pay IDR 500,000 for a 30-day visa on arrival.

Before the pandemic, Australian tourists were eligible for visa-free travel, which enabled them to visit Indonesia for up to 30 days on without paying a visa fee.

With IDR 650,000 per person extra to factor into the budget, some tourists are exploring emerging travel destinations. 

Data from Expedia Group shared earlier this month revealed that although Australians are the top arrivals in Bali, Bali is no longer the number one destination for Australian tourists.

Tens of thousands of Australian travelers are visiting Japan. Enticed by cold winters, big metropolitan cities, unique culture, and affordability, Japan is soaring in popularity. 

Nevertheless, there is hope on the horizon for Australian tourists planning their next trips to Bali.

Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno has suggested that he will reintroduce visa-free travel for top tourist arrival nations in the near future.

The discussion is still on the table but this move would certainly help encourage more Australian tourists to Bali as Acting Governor Mahendra Jaya wishes to see.