Still, Bali wants to have more visitors to make up for lost time, and lost tourism receipts, when the pandemic laid waste to its economy. In 2021, only 51 foreign tourists visited the island, compared with 6.3 million in 2019.
Last year, that number was close to 5.3 million, exceeding the target of 4.5 million. This year, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno, has raised the benchmark to seven million, cited Bali tourism chief Tjok Bagus Pemayun.
“That’s quite high,” Tjok told the programme Insight. “Hopefully, we can reach the target because many airlines have added flights to Bali.”
CONCRETE CANGGU
The influx of tourists is not just giving rise to occurrences of misbehaviour, however. It is putting a strain on resources and tarnishing Bali’s image because of rampant development, overcrowding and gridlock.
WATCH: Bali’s love-hate relationship with tourism on Indonesian island paradise (46:24)
