Bali’s January 2025 Travel Statistics Show Significant Increase in Tourist Arrivals
Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport has reported an encouraging surge in its travel figures for January 2025, according to the latest data from Ngurah Rai Immigration. The numbers reveal a 22% increase in immigration traffic compared to the same month in the previous year, providing a clear indication of a robust recovery and growing interest in the island as a destination.
Increased Arrivals and Departures
Alexander Maxwell, the Head of Immigration Information and Communication Technology at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, shared that a total of 611,603 individuals arrived at Bali Airport in January 2025. Meanwhile, the departure count reached 632,833. It is a common trend for departures to exceed arrivals in January, as many tourists conclude their vacations following the festive holiday period of Christmas and New Year.
Maxwell elaborated on the demographics of arrivals, noting that foreign tourists dominated the figures, totaling 540,122 arrivals—an impressive 27% increase year-on-year. Moreover, the number of Indonesian citizens visiting Bali rose by 30% from the previous year, reaching 53,490, while flight crew members arriving at the airport numbered 17,991, reflecting a 20% increase.
Top International Tourist Sources
The statistics shed light on the countries contributing the most to Bali’s tourist influx. Australian visitors remained the most prominent, with 139,577 arrivals. Following Australia, travelers from China accounted for 61,984 arrivals, while India, South Korea, and Russia contributed 36,514, 35,172, and 26,794 visitors, respectively. Other noteworthy sources included Malaysia (21,771), the United Kingdom (20,569), the United States (18,627), Singapore (15,942), and Japan (12,112), rounding out the top ten countries of origin.
Economic Impact on Bali and Beyond
Additional insights from Bali’s Governor, Wayan Koster, highlighted the ripple effects of the rise in tourist numbers on both the provincial and national economies. Koster stated that Bali Province generated approximately IDR 107 trillion (about 44% of the national tourism sector’s foreign exchange) in 2024. Emphasizing the critical role of tourism in Bali’s economic landscape, he noted that it accounts for 66% of the province’s income.
While the surge in international tourists is promising, Governor Koster expressed concerns regarding the slower recovery of the domestic travel market. In 2024, only 9.4 million domestic tourists visited Bali compared to 6.6 million international arrivals. This is a considerable drop from pre-pandemic levels when Bali routinely welcomed over 10.5 million domestic tourists each year.
Challenges Amid Growth
The Governor pointed out that the high costs of domestic flights pose a significant barrier to domestic tourism’s recovery. The persistent high airfare is discouraging many potential travelers within Indonesia from visiting Bali. Koster remarked, “The national economy has not fully recovered, and also national flight tickets are quite high. Therefore, it is not feasible for many Indonesians to travel to Bali for tourism.”
This issue of flight costs is a concern not only for Indonesian nationals but also for international tourists attempting to explore other parts of Indonesia beyond Bali, as the country aims to encourage broader travel through its archipelago.
As Bali continues to thrive as a prime tourist destination, authorities remain focused on addressing these challenges to ensure sustainable growth for both the tourism sector and the broader economy.
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