The number of international tourists in Bali grew by 3.6% in 2019 to 6.3 million, up from 6 million in 2018 according to the recently released annual Official News on Bali Province Tourism Development Statistics from Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi Bali.
Despite a number of geo-political issues impacting international travel in 2019, Bali’s resilience as a major tourist destination is demonstrated by its continued growth in international visitor arrivals. The number of international visitor arrivals passing through Ngurah Rai International Airport grew by 3.8% to 6,255,540 in 2019, up from 6,027,647 in 2018. This compares with a ten year CAGR of 10.1%.
Growth in the Number of Monthly International Visitor Arrivals at Ngurah Rai International Airport 2009 – 2019
The number of international visitor arrivals entering Bali through Bali Harbor has fluctuated wildly over the past ten years ranging from 5,298 in 2009 to 77,886 in 2015 as illustrated in the graph below. Over the past twelve months the number of international visitor arrivals passing through the port fell 29.2% from 43,314 in 2018 to 30,682 in 2019.
Growth in the Number of Monthly International Visitor Arrivals Through Bali Harbor 2009 – 2019
Bali’s star rated hotels ended 2019 with an average occupancy of 59.6%, down 5.6 percentage points on 2018. 2018 was the second best year for room occupancy in 30 years! Annual average occupancies have ranged from a low of 39% in 2003 to a high of 71% in 1990.
The top performing star rated categories for room occupancy performance in 2019 were:
- #1 4-Star – Occupancy 63.3%, down 6.9 percentage points
- #2 5-Star – Occupancy 60.1%, down 6.4 percentage points
- #3 3-Star – Occupancy 56.4, down 3.5 percentage points
- #4 2-Star – Occupancy 56.2%, down 6 percentage points
- #5 1-Star – Occupancy 44.4%, down 5.2 percentage points
The Monthly Room Occupancy Performance of Star Rated Hotels in Bali 1990 – 2019
The top performing Bali regencies/cities for star rated occupancy performance in 2019 were:
- #1 Denpasar – Occupancy 59.9%, down 6.2 percentage points
- #2 Badung – Occupancy 59.4%, down 8.2 percentage points
- #3 Gianyar – Occupancy 54.8%, down 1.1 percentage points
- #4 Karangasem – Occupancy 47.1%, down 3 percentage points
- #5 Buleleng – Occupancy 41.5%, up 3.3 percentage points
Growth in Monthly Star Rated Hotel Room Occupancy in Denpasar 2011 – 2019
Bali’s non-classified hotels ended 2019 with an average occupancy of 33%, up 2 percentage points on 2018. Annual average occupancies for these hotels have ranged from a low of 30.1% in 2015 to a high of 36.9% in 2013.
The Monthly Room Occupancy Performance of Non-Classified Hotels in Bali 2007 – 2019
The top performing regencies/cities for non-classified room occupancy performance in 2019 were:
- #1 Klungkung – Occupancy 64.2%, up 5.1 percentage points
- #2 Bandung – Occupancy 46.4%, down 1.4 percentage points
- #3 Gianyar – Occupancy 38.8%, down 6.3 percentage points
- #4 Karangasem – Occupancy 28.6%, down 4.1 percentage points
- #5 Denpasar – Occupancy 21.7%, down 4.9 percentage points
Growth in Monthly Non-Classified Hotel Room Occupancy in Klungkung Regency 2007 – 2019
The average length of stay (ALS) in Bali’s star rated hotels continues to decline as illustrated in the graph below. Between 1990 and 2002, the ALS oscillated around four nights, peaking in 1999 at 4.4 nights. Since 2002 ALS has declined slowly ending 2019 at 2.9 nights. We forecast it will remain at about 2.9 nights over the next two years.
Trend in the Monthly Average Length of Stay in Star Rated Hotels in Bali 1990-2021
Despite Bali’s appeal to international and domestic visitors alike, it is currently experiencing an imbalance in the supply-demand balance for star rated hotels as illustrated by the drop in occupancy rates over the past twelve months. Its latest annual occupancy of 59.6% is ranked 15th of 30 years of recorded occupancy history.