Bali is set to welcome more than 7 million international tourists this year, and traveler demographics are starting to change. Since the beginning of January, Bali has been recording a steady increase in the number of tourists from countries across the Middle East.
While international airport and airspace closures over the Middle East over the last few days have triggered travel chaos globally, Bali could start seeing an increase in the number of tourists over the coming months, especially from the Middle East. Just like when speculation around a lockdown started circulating, and at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, many people opted to travel to destinations like Bali to escape unrest.
Earlier this week, Bali Senator Agung Bagus Pratiksa Linggih told reporters, “If a major war breaks out, everyone will suffer. Bali, as a tertiary tourism industry, will certainly be the first to be affected. People will reduce spending and enter survival mode.”
Adding “Bali must prepare to be a safe location for foreign tourists who may want to stay temporarily until the situation stabilizes. But of course, tourists who come must be qualified and comply with our regulations.”
The first round of travel data for 2026 has been released, and it shows that while the most frequent international arrivals to Bali still hail from Australia, there has been an increase in tourists from the Middle East. The three largest countries contributing the most visits to Bali from the region were Saudi Arabia with 28,580 visits, the United Arab Emirates with 7,553 visits, and Jordan with 7,243 visits.
What is clear is that as the situation continues to unfold, people will be changing plans at the last minute based on updated guidance from the authorities, and based on their own safety situation and sense of economic stability.
Some travelers will opt to avoid all international travel, some will be unable to travel at all, some people will have to divert from their original route but will still travel and go on vacation as usual, while others may choose to temporarily relocate.
For tourists currently in Bali, Indonesia, the Immigration Department has been providing round-the-clock support to foreigners whose travel plans have been affected by airspace closures.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, 4th March, the Head of Ngurah Rai Immigration, Bugie Kurniawan, provided updates following confirmation earlier in the week that Immigration would be supporting foreigners in obtaining Emergency Stay Permits, free of charge, due to flight cancellations from Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai.
He confirmed that Immigration Officers will remain in place to support passengers directly at Bali Airport, but for those who have advanced warning of flight cancellations, the most appropriate course of action is to arrange an Emergency Stay Permit (ITKT) directly through their nearest Immigration Office.
The Emergency Stay Permit can be issued for up to 30 days and can be extended for a further 30 days, provided the application conditions are met.
Immigration Offices are open from Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 5.30 pm. For those who want to be extra cautious, it may be most appropriate to arrange a normal visa extension.
Ultimately, each traveler’s situation is unique, and tourists can contact Indonesia Immigration via the live chat option on the Official Indonesia Immigration website, from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday, Indonesian time.
It is also possible to check in with the latest updates, immigration advice, and tips via the Indonesia Immigration Instagram account, where content is posted in both English and Bahasa Indonesia.
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