During the New Year holiday of 2025, Bali successfully attracted over a hundred thousand tourists from Australia, with a total of 139,577 visitors recorded in January 2025.
According to the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, this figure is based on preliminary data received from Ngurah Rai Immigration.
According to Posbali.net, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, Head of the Bali Tourism Office, mentioned that China took second place with 61,984 tourists, followed by India with 36,514, South Korea with 35,172, and Russia with 26,794 visitors.
Despite the representation from various countries, Bali remains the top destination for international tourists. There are various reasons why many Australian tourists choose Bali.
In addition to enjoying the island’s natural beauty, arts, and culture, the proximity and lower costs compared to vacationing in their home country make Bali increasingly popular. These tourists even consider Bali as their “second home.”
Foreign Tourists Including from North Korea
Furthermore, domestic tourist arrivals to Bali in January 2024 reached 866,065 people, not including those who arrived by land routes such as Gilimanuk and Padangbai ports.
Overall, international tourist visits to Indonesia in 2024 experienced a significant rise, reaching 13.9 million visits, an increase of 19.05% compared to the previous year.
An interesting fact is that tourists from North Korea showed the most drastic growth, with an increase of 2,216%, from only 12 people in 2023 to 278 people in 2024. This indicates that, despite the strict travel restrictions imposed by the country on its citizens, Indonesia remains a popular destination.
Meanwhile, Vatican City also recorded significant growth, with 39 visitors, which can be attributed to Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia in September 2024.
Overall, Malaysia was the top contributor of foreign tourists, with 2.27 million visits in 2024. Each Malaysian tourist spent an average of around US$693 (approximately IDR 11.3 million) per visit.
Source: PosBali.net, CNBC Indonesia
Image: via AntaraNews//Nyoman Hendra Wibowo
