Hotel occupancy is projected to reach 74% during the peak Christmas and New Year 2026 holiday season, which runs from December 18, 2025 to January 4, 2026. This figure marks a 3.3% increase compared to the previous year.
During this period, hotels in Bali are expected to record the highest occupancy among all clusters, reaffirming Bali’s position as a favorite destination for travelers. Hotel clusters in Java and Sumatra are also projected to experience higher occupancy compared to the previous holiday season.
“The Christmas and New Year holidays consistently trigger a surge in tourist mobility, and this is a positive indicator for Indonesia’s tourism sector,” said Herdy Harman, Director of Human Resources and Digital at InJourney, Thursday (November 20, 2025).
Christmas & New Year-Themed
Ahead of the 2026 holiday season, hotels managed by InJourney Hospitality have enhanced their operational readiness, including F&B services, housekeeping, engineering, as well as optimized digital check-in systems and real-time monitoring.
Logistics forecasting, buffer stock preparation, and human resource readiness have also been strengthened to maintain service quality.
Several hotels are presenting Christmas and New Year-themed decorations and events, along with festive culinary offerings such as Christmas Dinner and New Year Gala Buffet. These efforts aim to provide guests with a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable stay.
“These operational and service preparations are intended to ensure consistent service standards and deliver a memorable experience for every guest,” said Christine Hutabarat, President Director of InJourney Hospitality.
Bali’s tourism continues to grow as one of the world’s leading destinations, yet this development brings challenges related to sustainability, ecological pressure, and cultural transformation.
Within this context, the concept of eco-spiritual hospitality emerges as a new approach in the hotel industry, integrating environmental sustainability, social wellbeing, and local spirituality.
This concept positions hospitality not merely as a service, but as an experiential space that connects visitors with ecological values and traditional wisdom.
In Bali, it is deeply rooted in the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which emphasizes harmony between humans and God (Parhyangan), humans and one another (Pawongan), and humans and nature (Palemahan).
The hospitality sector has contributed significantly to Bali’s economy, but rapid accommodation development often generates ecological and social issues such as reduced green spaces, rising waste volumes, and pressure on water resources.
In certain tourist areas, development may also displace cultural values and diminish community social spaces. These conditions raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of Bali’s tourism.
Eco-spiritual Hospitality
Meanwhile, post-pandemic global travelers increasingly seek meaningful, calming, and balanced experiences. They look for accommodations that offer not only physical comfort but also emotional and spiritual tranquility, reflecting ecological responsibility and cultural integrity.
This drives the need for a new paradigm in Bali’s hospitality sector—one that goes beyond luxury and commercial function, and instead revives the local cultural values that shape Balinese identity. Tri Hita Karana provides a highly relevant philosophical foundation for this shift.
1. The Concept of Eco-Spiritual Hospitality in Bali’s Tourism
Eco-spiritual hospitality integrates ecological sustainability with spiritual values rooted in local culture. In Bali, this approach is not entirely new but rather a revitalization of traditional principles through modern architectural and technological forms.
Its implementation goes beyond energy-efficient buildings it creates spaces that evoke spiritual experiences through landscape design, cultural symbolism, natural materials, and community engagement.
Hotels become places that offer tranquility and support contemplation, making the concept particularly relevant for post-pandemic travelers seeking holistic healing spaces.
2. Parhyangan: Embedding Spiritual Harmony in Hotel Architecture
The principle of Parhyangan is reflected through the creation of sacred spaces such as shrines, meditation gardens, or contemplation areas aligned with Balinese cosmology. Spiritual experience is enhanced through natural lighting, floral scents, the sound of flowing water, and serene landscape views.
In this way, Parhyangan becomes an essential part of the guest experience promoting emotional and spiritual balance rather than mere aesthetic decoration.
3. Pawongan: A Human-Centered and Community-Based Hotel Approach
Pawongan emphasizes harmonious human relationships. In the hotel context, this means empowering local workers, partnering with artisans, providing cultural training, and creating spaces for social interaction. Cultural activities—such as Balinese dance workshops or canang-making strengthen connections between visitors and the community, support local economies, and help preserve cultural heritage.
4. Palemahan: Ecological Sustainability in Design and Operations
Palemahan focuses on harmony between humans and nature. Eco-spiritual hotels can adopt local materials, renewable energy technologies, organic waste composting, water recycling systems, and regenerative landscaping. Incorporating traditional agricultural concepts like mini-subak systems or medicinal gardens further enhances ecological education for guests.
5. Integrating Tri Hita Karana into Holistic Hotel Design
An ideal eco-spiritual hospitality model integrates all three principles of Tri Hita Karana. Sacred areas (Parhyangan) are placed in higher or more symbolic zones, social areas (Pawongan) form the central interaction space, and ecological landscapes (Palemahan) surround the hotel.
This creates a meaningful narrative journey for guests connecting the spiritual, social, and environmental dimensions of their stay.
In essence, eco-spiritual hospitality represents a forward-looking model for Bali’s tourism. Consistent application of Tri Hita Karana enables hotels to serve as spiritual, social, and ecological spaces simultaneously.
This approach ensures that Bali’s tourism not only remains sustainable but evolves into a regenerative destination that strengthens cultural identity and environmental quality. It highlights that true tourism success is not measured solely by visitor numbers, but by the quality of harmony between humans, culture, and nature.
Sources : Okezonefinance, Kompasiana
Feat Image : via FG Trade Latin/Getty Images