The love affair between Bali and Australia is well-documented – from fresh tattoos at Denpasar Airport to Bintang singlets and yogis in Ubud. But a decades-long reign has come to an end.
Bali’s Central Statistics Agency has confirmed that Australians have lost their position as the island’s largest international visitor group after more than a decade at the top.
Malaysia has claimed the number one spot with 186,530 visits (17.14 per cent of arrivals), followed by Australia with 130,720 visits (12.01 per cent) and Singapore with 102,820 visits (9.45 per cent).
The broader picture remains positive. Foreign tourist arrivals to Bali reached 1.09 million in March 2026, a 10.50 per cent increase on the same month last year. From January to March 2026, total international arrivals to Indonesia reached 3.44 million – up 8.62 per cent on the same period in 2025 – with Malaysian tourists emerging as the key driver of growth both nationally and in Bali specifically.
Head of Indonesia’s Statistics Agency (BPS), Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, noted that visitor spending remains strong. “The average expenditure of foreign tourists per visit in the first quarter of 2026 reached US$1,345.61, with an average length of stay of 10.84 nights,” she said.
One of the most striking emerging trends is the sharp growth in Indian arrivals. The introduction of daily direct flights from India to Bali has been credited with driving the increase. In March 2026, Indian tourist visits to Indonesia totalled 53,800, with 42,460 — or 78.92 per cent — entering through Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.
