Reports that Bali’s hotel industry is facing pressure, leading to a growing number of properties being put up for sale.
The hotels on offer are spread across several areas, including Badung, Tabanan, Gianyar, and Karangasem. This issue have sparked different views among stakeholders.
One such perspective comes from Eva Monalisa, a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives. She believes the issue should be viewed within the broader tourism ecosystem, including tourist distribution, infrastructure, transportation, MSMEs (medium-small enterprise, and the creative economy.
“We cannot look at just one aspect, namely hotels. We have to look at the entire tourism chain, including infrastructure, MSMEs, and the creative activities in an area that become attractions for visitors,” Eva told reporters on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Eva emphasized that tourism conditions across Bali are far from uniform. Some areas enjoy high visitor numbers and a large hotel capacity, while others continue to attract relatively fewer tourists.
According to her, the government needs to assess whether low tourist arrivals are linked to infrastructure issues, accessibility to destinations, the attractiveness of individual regions, or even factors such as airfares.
Hotels Must Adapt and Innovate
A more specific view came from the Ministry of Tourism, which urged the public to see the growing number of hotel properties being offered for sale in Bali as part of normal market dynamics.
The ministry said that an increase in hotel property listings should not automatically be interpreted as a sign of decline in Bali’s tourism industry. In many cases, it may simply reflect business decisions made by property owners.
Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Puspa said changes in ownership or decisions to sell hotel properties should be viewed separately from the overall condition of Bali’s tourism sector.
“What we’re seeing today is a tourism market that is becoming increasingly dynamic. Travelers now have a much wider range of accommodation choices, from star-rated hotels and resorts to villas and various other lodging options,” she said.
The Ministry of Tourism also encouraged Bali’s hospitality industry to continue adapting and innovating, particularly in response to growing competition and changing traveler preferences.
“This is why adaptation is so important. Like any other industry, hotels need to keep innovating, while continuously improving the quality of their products and services,” Ni Luh Puspa added.
According to her, businesses can also target a broader range of market segments, including both international and domestic travelers, across leisure tourism, wellness tourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), and experience-based travel.
A similar view was expressed by Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati, Chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association.
Better known as Cok Ace, he believes that the growing number of hotels and villas being offered for sale in Bali does not automatically indicate that the hospitality industry is under extraordinary pressure.
“The buying and selling of hotels is actually a normal occurrence. What has caught our attention recently is the increase in the number of properties being put up for sale,” Cok Ace said on Tuesday (September 22, 2026).
Echoing Eva’s view, Cok Ace stressed that market conditions are not the same across all parts of Bali. Areas with high occupancy rates continue to have strong investment appeal.
What deserves closer attention, he said, is the weakening domestic market, which has long been one of the key pillars supporting Bali’s tourism industry.
According to Cok Ace, the main challenge facing Bali’s hospitality sector is not declining tourism demand, but the rapid growth in accommodation supply, which has led to increasingly intense competition.
This is particularly evident in South Bali, where tourism activities and accommodation development are most heavily concentrated.
“The gap between supply and demand has simply become too wide. For South Bali, a moratorium is indeed necessary,” he said.