Cancelling Europe Trips, Many Australian Tourists Switch to Bali

Escalating geopolitical conditions in the Middle East are directly impacting the travel patterns of Australian tourists. Many of them are cancelling holidays to Europe and switching to closer destinations, including the Nusa Dua area in Badung, Bali.

General Manager of The Nusa Dua, I Made Agus Dwiatmika, stated that this shift has been evident over the past three months, with Australian tourists still being the highest contributors to visits.

“If we look at the past three months, Australia is still the highest. So we have predicted this, because many Australian tourists are actually cancelling trips to Europe. This could also increase visits to Indonesia, particularly,” he said on Friday (17/4/2026).

This impact is also reflected in the visitor data. In March 2026, the number of tourists recorded an increase of around 4-5 per cent compared to the same period the previous year.

“Compared to March 2025 and March 2026, we have an increase of about 4-5 per cent. So that’s actually a pretty good condition,” he explained.

In addition to geopolitical factors, Agus mentioned that Bali’s appeal to Australian tourists is also influenced by seasonal factors and the uniqueness of its tropical climate.

“Australia usually, when their area starts the winter season, they definitely head to Indonesia. Then, Australians actually have many options in their own country, but the equatorial atmosphere isn’t found there. So one of their choices is Bali, besides Bangkok,” he explained.

He added that, in terms of infrastructure, Bangkok is still considered superior. However, Bali remains a favourite destination for Australian tourists.

Currently, Australian tourists still dominate visits to the Nusa Dua area, followed by Russia and China.

Nevertheless, Agus reminded tourism players in Bali to remain vigilant against global dynamics, including the rise in aviation fuel prices, which could impact the aviation industry.

“So the geopolitics is still ongoing, followed by the increase in avtur prices, because airlines are quite pressured by the high prices. We must anticipate that, but we have to be optimistic,” he stated.