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.
