FOREIGNERS VISIT TO BALI 2022 INCREASE 60,000 TIMES, DOMINATED BY AUSTRALIAN

NGURAH Rai Special Class I Immigration Office reports that visits by foreign nationals (foreigners) to Bali by air in 2022 will increase by more than 60,000 times compared to 2021. Throughout 2022, there were 2,176,004 foreigners arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, while in 2021 only 34 people.

“The number of arrivals of foreigners crossing Ngurah Rai Airport has increased by 6,399,911.76 percent, or an increase of 60,000 times more than in 2021,” said the Head of the TPI Ngurah Rai Special Class I Immigration Office, Sugito.

According to Sugito, the increase in the number is in line with the immigration policy to help national economic recovery through the tourism sector. Of that number, most foreigners came from Australia with 626,783 people, followed by India with 184,702 people, Singapore with 131,470 people, England with 130,312 people, and the United States with 111,495 people.

Sugito added that throughout 2022 there were 1,739,303 foreigners entering Indonesia using the visa on arrival (VOA) or electronic VOA (e-VOA) services. However, the number of foreigners arriving in Bali in 2022 has not reached the figure of 2019 or the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, which recorded 6,206,884 people.

However, Sugito is optimistic that the number of foreign arrivals to Bali via air route will continue to increase in 2023. Basically, the number of arrivals during the New Year’s holiday will increase by 35% when compared to the pre-pandemic period.

“In 2023 it is projected that there will be an increase in the number of arrivals considering the convenience policy support and global pandemic conditions that have started to control,” said Sugito.

Based on a report by the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, the highest number of foreign visits to Bali was recorded in December with 379,030 people. Followed by October 308,082 people, September 292,981 people, November 290,667 people, August 278,820 people, July 252,496, June 182,380, May 115,326, April 59,280, March 15,392 and February 1,550 people. [sources/photo special]