Middle East conflict reduces Bali’s foreign tourist arrivals by around 800 a day
Escalation of the Middle East conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran is beginning to have a tangible impact on Indonesia’s tourism sector. Bali Governor Wayan Koster revealed that geopolitical tensions have triggered a significant drop in foreign tourist arrivals to the island.
Over the past four days, the decline has averaged several hundred visitors per day, notably from the Middle East. ‘In one day, it’s around 800 people from the Middle East,’ Koster said during a beach clean-up event at Jimbaran Beach, Badung, on Thursday (5 March).
Koster explained that the conflict’s impact extends beyond the Middle East market to Europe, noting that many European visitors have typically flown via Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai or Doha due to limited direct flights to Bali.
However, he is optimistic European markets can survive by rerouting through Southeast Asian hubs. ‘Europeans will adjust their departure routes. Those who previously went via Dubai or Doha will switch to Singapore or Thailand’, he said.
Currently only flights from Russia have direct access to Bali; other European countries that usually transit through the Middle East are forced to seek alternatives due to the closure of air corridors in the conflict region.
According to data from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport for Feb 28 to Mar 4, 2026, 35 international flights were cancelled due to airspace closures in the Middle East.
The Bali provincial government hopes tensions in the Middle East will ease soon so as not to inflict long-term damage on the tourism-driven economy. Koster emphasised that route stability is crucial for certainty of tourist arrivals. ‘Hopefully the conflict ends quickly. Its impact is being felt now, but there will be a consolidation of route improvements, and we hope stability returns soon,’ he said.
The decline in arrivals presents a new challenge for Bali in 2026, given the target of foreign tourist arrivals to bolster the current account in Rupiah through the tourism sector.