Bali tourists hit a new high but are not spending enough to stay in cheap hotels

​The Indonesian island of Bali is seeing a record number of international tourists, but a growing number are opting to stay in illegal villas and budget hotels, raising fears among Balinese that the local tourism industry will suffer.

According to Antara News Agency, Professor Ida Bagus Raka Suardana of Denpasar National University of Education said in an interview in Denpasar on Friday (August 2) : "Although the number of tourists to Bali is high, many international tourists choose to stay in less well-known places, often opting for illegal villas instead of well-known locations."

He points out that these tourists are not only spending less than they used to, but some are even competing with islanders for jobs. "Many visitors to Bali still need money and don't bring enough with them."

In the past, international tourists liked to shop in Bali's art shops and stay in popular areas such as Kuta, Regian and Nusa Dua; Now there is a new trend of tourists staying in cheap hotels or illegal villas.

"Tourists come here just to eat cheap food and stay in cheap hotels," Edabagus said. "It doesn't do any good."

He suggested that the government screen foreign visitors, for example by asking them to provide proof that they are carrying enough money. This will help ensure that international visitors to Bali have some financial means.

Edabagus also said Bali's tourism industry is still recovering from the shock of the coronavirus outbreak. "While macroeconomic growth in Bali has improved, certain sectors are still struggling and have yet to recover."

Statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Bali show that in the first half of this year, a total of 2.91 million 1,135 international tourists visited Bali, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 figure of 2.85 million 5,782 in 2019. In June alone, Bali received 510,819 international visitors, mainly from Australia, India, China, the United States and Singapore, with an average stay of 2.75 days in Bali's star-rated hotels.