Bali was quiet during the Christmas and New Year 2026 high season, compared to the crowds of tourists vacationing in Yogyakarta.
Responding to this, the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association in Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati, said that Bali is still experiencing growth. in terms of foreign tourist numbers, compared to 2024.
However, continued the figure often called Cok Ace, there is a trend toward other regions as an impact of social media.
“For domestic tourists, there has indeed been a decline. This cannot be separated from the natural disasters in Bali and the potential for other disasters that have been repeatedly exposed,” said Cok Ace on Friday, 26 December 2025.
Even so, Cok Ace expressed thanks for the news or information that has been provided so far to the public and the government. However, he added that issues which have the potential to be used as weapons by competitors to bring down Bali should be addressed more wisely.
Furthermore, he said that on one hand, tourist attractions in Java, including Yogyakarta, are easier to reach, and the availability of infrastructure is getting better.
The increase in foreign tourists to Bali is also not as significant as in previous years. On the other hand, the construction of accommodation or villas continues to rise, so hotel occupancy has decreased compared to last year.
“So I ask the local government to pay more attention to this phenomenon, including the comfort and safety of tourists while in Bali,” he hoped.
Expensive Plane Tickets
In line with the Bali office of Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, the Chairman of the national association, Haryadi Sukamdani, also confirmed a significant decline in average hotel occupancy in Bali ahead of the Christmas and New Year 2025–2026 holidays.
In addition to negative news about floods and severe traffic jams that went viral, Haryadi also analyzed that this decline was triggered by plane ticket prices that are still considered expensive.
The average hotel occupancy in Bali fell by 15% even though hotels tried to lower prices by 10% to 15%. The most affected areas were Jimbaran, Pecatu, Ungasan, and Nusa Dua, with average declines of 20%.
On the other hand, Yogyakarta showed very strong performance thanks to innovation and many new activities that were intensively uploaded on social media. The high public interest made Yogyakarta an attractive destination because it is considered more affordable, especially with access by train or private vehicles.
“Yogyakarta is indeed a very innovative destination. There are so many new culinary activities that are intensively uploaded on social media,” said Haryadi Sukamdani, in a Metro TV morning interview, Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
Haryadi also saw a trend of domestic tourists shifting to more affordable destinations in Java. Besides Yogyakarta, many new destinations are growing and being explored by the younger generation, which spreads domestic tourism more evenly.
Sources : Kompas, MetroTV
Feat Image : via AntaraNews