Tourism Minister Says Bali Remains Busy Despite Middle East War

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana noted that the number of tourists during the extended Eid al-Fitr holiday rose by 3.5 per cent compared to last year’s Lebaran period. According to her, the conflict in the Middle East has not significantly affected tourist visits. “We observed an increase in visits during this Eid period, a 3.5 per cent rise compared to last year’s Eid,” she stated during a working visit to Bali Safari & Marine Park on Wednesday (25/3/2026). She mentioned that the arriving tourists were predominantly domestic visitors taking advantage of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East causing some flight cancellations, including to Bali, the trend in tourist visits continues to show an increase. “Even with the uncertain situation in the Middle East and some cancellations, the trend still shows a 3.5 per cent increase based on our data,” she emphasised. She also revealed that the current hotel occupancy rate is around 60 to 65 per cent. Meanwhile, the Head of Bali Tourism Office, I Wayan Sumarajaya, stated that the target for tourist arrivals this year remains the same as in 2025. “Yes, our target is still the same as the previous year, 2025, where we aim for 6.9 million international tourists to visit Bali annually,” he said while accompanying the Tourism Minister’s working visit to Bali Safari & Marine Park. Sumarajaya hopes this increase in visitors will continue in the following months, even during the low season. “This is a positive development for us, and we hope it continues in the coming months despite still being in this low season,” he added.