Increasingly Expensive Flight Tickets Could Hinder Travelers’ Plans To Visit Bali

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Bali is anticipating 2023 to be the biggest year for tourism since the pandemic began. The island has set a target to welcome 4.5 million international tourists by the end of the year.

While travel data predictions show Bali is on track to hit tourism targets this year, expensive airfares are beginning to threaten the goal. 

Bali wants to welcome 4.5 million international tourists in 2023; the island also wants to welcome millions more domestic tourists from around Indonesia.

Bali’s Governor, Wayan Koster, has voiced his concerns that expend airfares may be hindering tourists, both domestic and foreign, from visiting the island. 

Speaking during a press conference in the popular tourist resort of Legian, Governor Koster shared his concerns about flight prices.

He said, “Investigation has to be [completed] because flights to Bali are quite expensive, and airlines to Bali have not returned to normal as before the pandemic.”

@kyu00055 Finally hello bali 😍🛬 #bali #ngurahraiinternationalairport #citlink #holiday ♬ Landing di Bali – Faizal Maulana

Data reveals that Bali is currently receiving up to 13,000 domestic tourists per day, yet before the pandemic, this figure was sitting at a consigned 25,000 daily domestic arrivals. The cost of flights is proving to be a limiting factor for both domestic and international tourists. 

On the popular Facebook group Bali Bogans, a forum dedicated to Australian travelers planning their trips to Bali, group members have been sharing screenshots of rising ticket prices.

Many comments revealed that Australians are increasingly concerned about flight costs, which is starting to jeopardize their trip planning. 

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@faizalmaulana_22 Salah satu tempat terindah saat landing 😍🛬 #Bali ♬ original sound – Ian Asher

Officials from Bali Airport have confirmed that between January and April 2023, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport served 3.23 million international passengers and 2.83 million domestic passengers, totaling over six million passengers in just four months.

As of May 12, 2023, Bali Airport operates a total of 29 international flight routes served by 36 airlines.

The topic of flight availability and flight cost and their impact on travel trends and the economy in Bali is never far from public dialogue.

Earlier in the year, Indonesia’s Minister for Tourism and Creative Economies Sandiaga Uno, hosted a press conference and spoke about how he plans to recession-proof tourism in the country. 

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He noted that as the global economy continues to shift and many countries experience a cost of living crisis, tourism in Indonesia would have to prepare for a few more storms even after the pandemic.

Minister Uno stated clearly that increased flight availability would help ensure that plane tickets remain affordable for travelers. 

Minster Uno said that more direct flights to Bali would help ensure travelers had more affordable choices available to them as they plan their trips to the island.

He explained, “There have been several foreign direct flights from Qatar and Dubai that have already delivered. We also want additions from Singapore and several ASEAN countries. This is what we are trying to do in the first quarter of this year in collaboration with airlines and the Ministry of Transportation.”

There are many ways that travelers can reduce their ticket costs. The day of travel hugely impacts flight cost, as well as whether the flight is direct or requires layovers.

Many credit cards give exclusive ticket rates, and of course, airmails go a long way in reducing ticket costs too. 

Just as Minster Uno suggested, flights from the Middle East to Bali are proving increasingly popular irrespective of increasing ticket costs.

In just a matter of days, Gusti Ngurah Rai will welcome, for the first time, the world’s biggest commercial plane. 

Operational plans to safely manage the Emirates A380 Airbus into Denpasar have been underway for months. The General Manager of Angkasa Pura I, Handy Heryudhitiawan, has been sharing regular updates with the media as the excitement grows for this inaugural landing of the jumbo jet in Bali. 

This week airport teams have cleaned the runway and surrounding airport grounds to ensure that everything will run smoothly on June 1st when Emirates comes into land. 

Heryudhitiawan said life at the airport is busy and that he and his teams remain committed as ever to passenger safety and traveler experience.

He shared, “Aircraft movements with an average daily rate currently reach 30,133 passengers and 166 aircraft movements. With this significant movement, it becomes a reference for us to continue to work on improving flight safety.”