BPS: Foreign Tourist Arrivals Rise 8.62% in Q1 2026, Indian Tourists Flock to Bali
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Arrivals of foreign tourists to Indonesia grew by 8.62% in the first quarter of 2026, with a surge in visitors from India reinforcing Bali’s role as the primary gateway, necessitating strengthened access and service quality to match this trend.
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) highlighted the ongoing rise in Indian tourists, particularly with Bali as the main destination. BPS Chief Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti stated that the number of Indian tourist visits from January to March 2026 reached 157,100, an increase of 3.90% compared to the same period last year.
On a monthly basis, Indian tourist arrivals in March 2026 were recorded at 53,800 visits, up 1.26% from February 2026. Of this total, approximately 78.92% or 42,460 Indian tourists entered through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
“Most enter through Ngurah Rai airport,” Amalia said in a written statement on Monday (4/5/2026).
Throughout the first quarter of 2026, total foreign tourist arrivals reached 3.44 million visits, an 8.62% annual increase. The average expenditure per foreign tourist visit was $1,345.61, with an average length of stay of 10.84 nights.
On the other hand, the tourism sector is also strongly supported by domestic tourist movements. The number of domestic tourist trips in the first quarter of 2026 reached 319.51 million trips, growing 13.14% compared to the same period last year.
A significant surge occurred in March 2026, coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday momentum, with a total of 126.34 million trips. This figure increased 38.63% from February 2026 and rose 42.10% annually.
The strong flow of tourists, both foreign and domestic, indicates significant opportunities for the tourism sector to drive economic growth. However, the dominance of entry points through Bali, especially from the Indian market, emphasises the importance of strengthening entry access and equitable service distribution so that the surge in visits can be optimised without concentrating in one destination.