12th September 2022 – After two years of travel bans and worldwide lockdowns, Bali again experiences large-scale tourism commotion. Before the pandemic started, the Island of Gods had grown accustomed to receiving more than 6 million tourists each year.
Due to rigorous border controls, Bali only had 51 foreign visitors in 2021. The newest visitor statistics show that mass tourism has firmly returned to Bali, which was provided this week by the governor of Bali and the tourism minister of Indonesia.
Many people had never experienced Bali being so silent. Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak, three well-known beaches, were closed. Tourists were absent from the normally crowded streets. No foreign travellers arrived at Bali Airport for several months. Since the reopening of the borders in February of this year, monthly increases in the number of tourists have been seen.
At the beginning of September, Bali was averaging 10,000 foreign visitors every day. This represents 50% of the pre-Covid daily rate. According to Governor Koster on 5th September 2022, this daily average of 10,000 persons is “far faster and higher than the targeted aim of 40% [of pre-covid arrivals] by December 2022.”
All overseas travellers still need to arrive with documentation of their vaccination status, thus that restriction is still in effect. There are still other limitations imposed on domestic travel. For information on their travel choices, travellers who are medically exempt or have not received a Covid-19 vaccination can contact their local embassy or consulate.
The Lawn, Potato Head, and Finn’s Beach Club, three of Bali’s top entertainment spots, now routinely welcome hundreds of visitors. The release of event schedules has restarted, with new dates and events being revealed practically daily. Despite the severe economic losses caused by the epidemic, which were felt by a great number of people, several companies were able to start new operations after the catastrophe. Atlas Beach Club has made its way to Canggu, and Canna Bali has settled down in Nusa Dua.
The Indonesian government declared earlier this year that it hoped to welcome the return of mass tourism to the island of Gods by the end of 2022. 945,006 tourists from other countries arrived in Bali between 1st January and 2nd September 2022. It is safe to predict that Bali will not only meet but exceed its tourism goals with three months left.
The Bali tourism industry’s comeback from the pandemic is assured after a tumultuous two years and a slow, uncertain start. This return of tourism to the island of Gods marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Island of the Gods and ushers in the age of “serenity, spirituality, and sustainability.”
