Bali Governor says Middle East conflict is affecting foreign tourist arrivals

There has been a decline in foreign tourist arrivals over the past four days, with around 800 visitors per day from the Middle East. Bali Governor Wayan Koster said that the US-Israel conflict with Iran in the Middle East region has impacted the number of foreign tourist visits. ‘There has been a drop in foreign tourist visits over the last four days, with about 800 people per day from the Middle East,’ Koster said during a clean-up campaign on Jimbaran Beach, Badung, on Thursday. He noted that although European visitors predominantly reach Bali via the Middle East route due to a lack of direct flights to Bali, the decline in foreign visitors is dominated by travellers from the Middle East. This is because European tourists can still adjust their departure routes, such as diverting via Singapore or Thailand. ‘European travellers will certainly adjust their departure routes; those previously via Dubai or Doha may switch to Singapore or Thailand,’ he said. ‘If Europeans fly directly to Bali, it would be from Russia; those coming via the Middle East (other European countries) cannot go directly, and transit in Dubai or Doha is no longer possible,’ he added. Therefore, the Bali Provincial Government hopes the US-Israel conflict, which has led to the closure of several airspaces in Middle Eastern countries, will end soon. Although he did not specify the difference in the number of inbound visitors from the Middle East on normal days versus during the conflict, Koster said the decline in Bali’s visitor numbers is heavily influenced by the escalation of the conflict. ‘Hopefully the conflict will end soon; the impact currently is a drop of about 800 people per day, and there will be a consolidation of better routes, hopefully it can stabilise,’ said the head of the Bali Provincial Government. Separately, data from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport shows that from 28 February to 4 March 2026, at least 35 international flights were cancelled due to airspace closures. For arrivals to Bali, the airport recorded 15 cancellations, comprising three Etihad flights on the Abu Dhabi (AUH)-Denpasar (DPS) route, six Emirates flights on the Dubai (DXB)-Denpasar (DPS) route, and six Qatar Airways flights on the Doha (DOH)-Denpasar (DPS) route.