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BALI Governor Wayan Koster expressed hope for an increase in tourist arrivals from Taiwan as he welcomed plans to reopen a direct flight route from Taipei to the Indonesian province.
Speaking in Denpasar City on Friday, he underscored air connectivity as key to expanding Bali’s access to international tourism markets.
“We expect the opening of the direct flight route to deliver positive impacts on Bali’s tourism,” he remarked while hosting David Wen-Chiun Lin, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Surabaya.
Koster emphasized his full support for stronger tourism ties between Bali and Taiwan and expressed interest in attending a ceremony welcoming a Starlux aircraft on its inaugural flight to Bali on Oct. 1, 2026.
In addition to discussing the flight route, the two sides exchanged views on matters concerning Taiwanese people who visit or reside in Bali.
They agreed that tourism remains among the most strategic instruments for Bali and Taiwan to strengthen cooperation and deepen people-to-people ties.
TETO Surabaya Director General David Wen-Chiun Lin underscored that the arrival of the Starlux aircraft in early October would mark the reopening of the direct flight after a hiatus.
He described the reopening as an effort to improve travel time efficiency and comfort for Taiwanese residents seeking vacations in Bali.
Lin added that Bali has the potential to tap into vast tourism opportunities arising from strong enthusiasm among Taiwanese people for overseas travel.
In this regard, he expressed hope that the reopening of the Taipei-Bali direct flight would help increase the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting the tropical island, which is known globally for its cultural and natural beauty. [antaranews]
