There will be at least three new international routes in 2024, according to Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economies.
“We are making all our efforts in 2024 for additional flights to Bali, and we have made this happen already ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays. The newly proposed flights will also make it easier than ever for Chinese tourists to visit Bali,” said Minister Uno.
The Istanbul-Bali-Istanbul flight on Turkish Airlines will now operate three times a week, according to the three proposed route updates.
In addition, Shanghai-Bali-Shanghai is set to commence on January 20, 2024.
Additionally, there are currently proposals to expand Etihad’s Abu Dhabi-Bali-Abu Dhabi service, which is scheduled to begin in April 2024.
“Connectivity from this number of flights can reach the main quality tourism markets, namely Australia, America, Europe and Asia, Minister Uno said.
21.4 million passengers were handled in 2023 across the international and domestic terminals, according to data from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. This represented a 71% increase over 2022.
By December 2023, 18 domestic routes and 29 international routes, operated by 11 and 34 airlines respectively, were served by Bali Airport.
This year, Bali as a province hopes to welcome 7 million foreign visitors, helping Indonesia reach its pre-pandemic travel targets. The country has set an overall goal of welcoming 14 million intentional arrivals.
It is now recommended that travelers apply online for their visa on arrival before traveling to Bali.
At Bali Airport, the new auto-gates will be accessible to those who have applied for and been approved for an eVOA.
At the auto-gates, visitors will only need to scan their passports; the passport will be read by the scanner, and each person’s identity will be verified via facial recognition technology on the camera.
This will facilitate the arrival process. The option to process immigration paperwork at counters will still be available to visitors; these counters will remain open and operational during peak hours.
Although no changes have been made as of yet, Minister Uno suggested last year that visa-free travel for Bali’s top foreign tourists could be reinstated.
But it is improbable that significant legislative changes will be made in the upcoming weeks, given the general election on February 14.
In 2024, Bali is expected to welcome over half a million more visitors, so island-wide tourism infrastructure is being evaluated by officials.
To guarantee that travelers can always reach the airport in time for their flights, leaders are suggesting that a special airport lane be allocated on the Mandara Toll Road.