PHRI Reveals Why Nusa Penida Hotels Remain Empty Despite Tourist Boom

The Nusa Penida tourist area in Klungkung, Bali, has been thronged with visitors during the holiday high season. According to data from the Klungkung branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), tourist visits to Nusa Penida can reach 4,000 people per day.

Even so, the busy footfall does not translate directly into occupancy rates for accommodation on the island. Hundreds of hotels in the tourist area are in fact quiet, with average occupancy of only around 30 percent.

“The average occupancy is 30 percent. Sometimes small hotels can be at just 10 percent. But the big hotels are always full because their facilities are complete. They have restaurants, nightlife, a gym and other supporting facilities,” said the chairman of PHRI Klungkung, I Putu Darmaya, on Wednesday (15/6/2026).

“Meanwhile, the smaller hotels mostly have no restaurants and their service is lacking. So they only provide a place to sleep,” he added.

According to PHRI Klungkung data, there are currently around 460 budget and mid-range hotels registered on Nusa Penida. However, the true figure is predicted to be far higher if unregistered accommodation is taken into account.

Darmaya said the majority of tourists currently filling Nusa Penida come from Asian markets such as China and India. Most visitors travelling to Nusa Penida only make a day trip without staying overnight.

“Day trips are mostly from China and India, but those who stay overnight are mostly from Europe. Unfortunately, at the moment day trips are busy, but they are not staying overnight. In fact, if they only do a day trip, perhaps all they do here is leave their rubbish behind,” he added.

According to Darmaya, the economic benefit for local communities would be far greater if tourists stayed overnight on Nusa Penida. To raise hotel occupancy, he stressed the importance of improving infrastructure as well as hotels’ internal facilities.

Darmaya also noted that inadequate public infrastructure is another reason tourists are reluctant to stay overnight on Nusa Penida. He cited the lack of street lighting and entertainment facilities, meaning there is not much for visitors to do if they stay on the island.

“Our infrastructure is still not good. The lighting is poor, and at night the streets are dark. Supporting facilities such as walking areas are also lacking, especially nightlife. Nightlife cannot run either because the hotels are empty,” Darmaya explained.

On the other hand, Darmaya highlighted the ferry crossing to Nusa Penida, which operates until 5pm local time. This makes it easy for tourists to return directly to the Bali mainland. According to Darmaya, if crossings were limited until 2pm, more tourists would likely stay overnight on Nusa Penida.

The head of destinations at the Klungkung Tourism Office, Ida Bagus Gede Agung Prayudha, explained that several measures would be taken in response to the short length of stay of tourists on Nusa Penida. One of them is the implementation of a one gate one destination scheme.

“If this system runs, tourists will be more aware that Nusa Penida has many spots that cannot be enjoyed in just one day. There are also many destinations offering the beauty of the night and early morning that cannot be experienced without staying overnight,” said Agung Prayudha.