Bali island still one of the most popular destinations in the world

Bali has become a major tourist destination since the 80s. That’s when the real boom happened. The annual 9-13% increase of tourists coming to Bali since 2009 is only a legacy to the exposure made nearly two decades ago.

That increase correlated heavily with USA Government’s lifting its travel warning back in 2008. Since 2011, however, direct flights from China have played a more important role in Bali tourism than the US’s concern over the safety of its citizen. That year marked the day when for the first time China outranked Japan as the second biggest tourist exporter to Bali after Australia.

In 2013, 57.48% of tourists came from Asia Pacific (excluding those from South East Asia region that has its own category), followed by Europe with 22.19%, South East Asia countries (ASEAN) with 12.11%, and America 4.8% respectively. The rest is shared between African and Middle Eastern countries.

Indeed, statistically, China still has a long way to go before it can dethrone Australia as number one. However, given the increasing globetrotting trend in China, and love-hate relationships Australia has with Indonesia and Bali in particular (Schapelle Corby, anyone?), this is just a matter of “When?”, instead of “How?” Please also note that in 2013 alone, the total number of Chinese tourists is only half of the tourists from European countries combined together.

What Does It Mean to Bali Tourism?
We all need to study Mandarin that’s for sure. According to CNN, no less than 30,000 Chinese tourists came to the island last Lunar New Year (Year of the Whores Horse) and injected no less than 90 Million Dollars to Bali’s economy.
According to the same report, the Indonesia tourism board is currently trying to have reached a target of 1 million Chinese tourists by the end of 2014.
Boom. That’s a potential Bali tourism boom’s Second Coming, right there.
Soon, we may hear a lot of freelance drivers speaking broken Chinese instead of English everywhere in the island. Hotels, restaurants and clubs in Bali will need to carve special plans just to cater to these deep-pocketed, big spending and big-tipping Asians’ needs. Bali will need Mandarin-speaking tour guides and language teachers more than ever.

What Does it Mean to Real Estate Business?
Given that the real estate and property business is always being an offshoot of the Bali tourism industry, everything that happens in the latter will impact the former, sooner or later.

Today, we may not see a lot of Chinese buying property in Bali. However, I can already imagine, the makeshift signs placed by local makelar on electricity poles offering land for sale, villa for sale or villa for rent will have another space that reads 土地出售, 別墅出售 and 別墅出租 respectively. Yes, the day when those big-spender realize that instead of spending their vacation in hotels, they could do it in their own villas and make money off of it (by renting it to another party for example), a fierce property hunt will begin.

Property agencies need to anticipate this market shift before it’s happening. Forget the Australians and Europeans! (Well, not completely) Here comes the Chinese!

The Big Picture
Bali tourism industry could ride this ongoing trend to help build what many believe as a lack of infrastructure distribution.  The challenge is to provide a better service for everyone amid the widening cultural diversities. As a consequence, using the current tourists’ divisions: (Asians in the greater Sanur area, Westerners in the greater Kuta area) won’t suffice anymore. New tourism hubs need to be opened. Speaking of which, would you believe if I tell you that Sanur was once THE ONLY tourist hub/point of entry in Bali?

Cultural exchange, not only with locals, but fellow tourists from another cultural background can also be a great experience one could expect from having a vacation. This can be a key feature to promote Bali tourism further, beyond its natural and cultural beauty.
Of course, there’s still 50% chance that the upward trends of Chinese traveling to Bali are short-lasting. But still, doing nothing about a factor that, for example, was able to generate a staggering $4.04 billion to the Australian economy in 2013, would be a stupid thing to do.
For the Bali tourism industry, the rule of thumb is to ride the tide while it lasts, and while it’s there, make it lasts just a little bit longer.

 

Tibumana Waterfall 
Tibumana waterfall is a beautiful hidden paradise located only up the river from the much more touristic falls of Reng Reng. Mainly visited by locals, this waterfall is generally quiet as it is a 5-minute drive off the main road and then a 5-10 minute walk to the falls themselves.

Tukad Cepung Waterfall : A Hidden Gem 
Tukad Cepung Waterfall still remains as the best virgin waterfall of Bali. The local villagers contribute in showing and/or explaining the waterfall to the visitors well-guarded by the cliffs, this waterfall is difficult to locate for the first time visitor. A few hundred stairs down the cliff are worth the effort once you arrive at the destination. The circular cliffs give you the feeling of being in a cave, while the open sky right from where the waterfall emerges, gives you the most enchanting view. Since the water gets accumulated within the cliffs, it gets really deep during the rainy seasons. For that reason, it is not recommended to visit Tukad Cepung Waterfall during monsoons. 

Kanto Lampo Waterfall 
Kanto Lampo, located at Banjar Kelod Kangin, Beng village at Gianyar sub-district, only 12 kilometers away from Ubud Palace.
Easily accessible by stairs, which lead to a pleasing shallow river canyon bordered with jungle trees and overhanging vines, the pile of flat jagged rocks where the waterfall is supposed to be is unusually at the side of the river, not along the river course and looks as though it’s been caused by a landslide.
If you are up for a little adventure, go down the stairs on your left and walk along the riverbank Crossing the 2 meters-wide river, you can climb up the rocks on the left side and walk along the pathway to a cave. The view is just spectacular, especially to see the waterfall from the end of the pathway.

Munduk Waterfall 
Munduk Waterfall is one of the Best Trekking Points, where you can explore 3 of the wonderful waterfalls in Munduk Village. In the Munduk Trekking Program you will walk through the rainforest plantation. Munduk waterfall is also close to another spot, Git Git Waterfall. 

Git Git Waterfall 
Git Git Waterfall is located only at 10km drive south of North Bali’s main town of Singaraja, or an 80km drive north from Kuta. The falls are easily accessible from the main road connecting Bedugul and Singaraja. It also provides a relatively easy trek, with a wooden boardwalk over a small gorge and cool streams. Visitors shall enjoy the spectacle of the 40m cascade that constantly pours into a rocky pool with a small shrine that ‘guards’ the site. You can enjoy a cool plunge in the pool. The falls are also referred to by the locals as the ‘Twin Falls’ or Air Terjun Kembar Gitgit, due to its flow that is often split into two equal streams.

Beach side waterfall at melasti beach 
Along the sandy Melasti beach (near Tanah Lot)  lies a hidden treasure, a waterfall. Capture a shot from the shoreline of the sun setting as the water streams back into the ocean. A 15-minute walk away from Tanah Lot, head over to the beach after visiting the Tanah Lot temple.You’ll be safe from the crowd as Melasti Beach is one of Bali’s best-kept secrets (until now).Take note not to mistake this Melasti beach with the one near Ungasan!
 

The second edition of the ANOC World Beach Games will take place in Bali, Indonesia on 5-12 August 2023. It is set to showcase some of the world's best athletes competing in 14 different disciplines. These sports events include Aquathlon, Beach Handball, Beach Soccer, Beach Tennis, Beach Volleyball 4×4, Beach Waterpolo, Beach Wrestling, Individual Kata, Open Water Swimming 5km, 3x3 Basketball, AirBadminton, Surfing, Beach Sprint Rowing, and WingFoil Racing. The games will comprise 45 sports events and 128 medals up for grabs.

 

Karate Kata participant in the 1st World Beach Games Qatar 2019

Photo by ANOC

 

The biannual event is expected to attract more than 1,500 athletes from over 100 countries and 205 National Olympic Committees (NOC), as well as various sports organization stakeholders. These include the President of ANOC Robin Mitchel, WADA World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

 

Compared to its predecessor, the Qatar World Beach Games, which had 1,200 athletes from 97 NOCs, 13 disciplines, and 110 medals, the Bali World Beach Games is seeing significant growth in several aspects.

 

Photo by ANOC

 

The event will be held across four clusters, namely Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta, and Canggu, with the opening venue yet to be confirmed. However, most events will be held in Nusa Dua and Jimbaran.

 

The Indonesian NOC chief hopes that locals from Bali will also participate and help make the event a success. Still recovering from the recent pandemic, the World Beach Games Bali 2023 is expected to boost tourism in the region, marking a much-needed revival of the industry.

 

How World Beach Games Bali 2023 Will Impact Bali

 

Bali has been a popular location for various global events such as concerts, art exhibits, conferences, and sports events. Recently, the G20 presidency in 2022 was a significant event that had a profound impact on Bali's economy. The G20 Summit was responsible for a considerable economic boost in Bali in the third quarter of 2022, and it had a ripple effect on the tourism industry at all levels.

 

During a media briefing, Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, announced that Bali's economy had seen substantial growth of up to eight percent YoY during the third quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter's three percent. He also stated that the G20 Summit in Bali was a strong driver for the recovery of Indonesia's tourism sector. The number of domestic and international travelers that attended the summit reached 20,559 people, and Bali's daily arrivals now average 24,009.

 

Bali attracts more international arrivals as more events are also held in Bali.

Photo by yanalya on Freepik

 

The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) reported that last year's occupancy rate was only around 20 percent, but it has since surged to almost 70 percent. Additionally, 80 percent of the staff shortage caused by the pandemic layoffs has been resolved.

 

Nyoman Shuida, an expert staff member for the Utilization of Maritime Resources at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, commented that the G20 Summit had a maximum and direct impact on society. It increased foreign tourists from 1.8 million to 3.6 million and generated 600,000 to 700,700 new jobs, mainly in the culinary, fashion, and craft sectors.

 

Rental businesses should prepare for the influx of international arrivals.

Photo by Bali Home Immo

As the World Beach Games Bali 2023 approaches, it is anticipated that a new wave of international visitors will return, providing a significant boost to Bali's economy, including the rental business. This is particularly crucial for the four cluster areas where the event will take place, namely Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta, and Canggu.