Chinese Tourist Visits to Indonesia Reach Highest Level

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The latest report from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) indicates that the number of visits by tourists from China to Indonesia reached 150,800 in February 2026, the highest in the last six years, driven by the extended Chinese New Year holiday. The number of Chinese tourist visits in February 2026 surged by 69 percent compared to the same period the previous year, and increased by 36 percent on a monthly basis. This latest data is the highest since January 2020, when Chinese tourist visits reached 183,700. “The increase in tourists from China is driven by the effect of the extended Chinese New Year holiday, so this certainly encourages travel by tourists from China in February 2026,” said Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS, Aten Hartono, during a press conference on Wednesday (1/4). Bali remains the favourite destination, with around 52 percent of Chinese tourists entering Indonesia during that period via Ngurah Rai International Airport, while the rest arrived through Jakarta and Surabaya. There was an approximately 78 percent monthly increase in Chinese tourist visits to Bali. The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia previously also recorded an increase in the number of Chinese tourist visits by up to 29 percent in the week before and after this year’s Lunar New Year (10-24 February) compared to last year’s Lunar New Year. During those two weeks, 88,600 Chinese tourists entered Indonesia, with the peak on H+2 Lunar New Year reaching nearly 7,500 tourists. The Ministry describes this positive trend of Chinese tourists returning to Indonesia as a breath of fresh air for national tourism because it has a direct impact on the economy and tourism business actors in the regions.