The Bali Provincial Government plans to begin screening incoming international tourists by verifying the adequacy of their financial resources as a prerequisite for entry from 2026, as the destination shifts its focus to “quality tourism”.
“One aspect of quality tourism is the amount of money in visitors’ savings accounts over the past three months,” Bali Governor Wayan Koster reportedly said in Gianyar on Thursday (Jan 1).
In addition to financial capacity, Koster said foreign visitors entering Bali would also be assessed on their intended length of stay and planned activities.
“This is to ensure everything is under control. When we travel to other countries, similar checks are applied, and we will implement the same approach, in line with policies adopted elsewhere,” he said.
Koster told the Tourism Minister that Bali recorded 7.05 million foreign tourist arrivals by air throughout 2025, while around 71,000 visitors arrived by sea. He said the figures marked the highest level in the history of Balinese tourism, with arrivals continuing to rise each year after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.
In 2022, tourism business associations urged the provincial government to reopen access for foreign tourists by offering various facilities, which led to a surge in arrivals that proved difficult to manage, Koster said.
“We must address this issue, and it cannot be resolved in a day or two. It requires patience,” he said.
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The provincial government, he added, acknowledged a range of challenges, including environmental and infrastructure pressures. Rather than attributing issues such as waste, traffic congestion and flooding solely to tourism growth, Koster emphasised the need for stronger regulations and improved governance.
While the central government has yet to set a tourist arrival target for 2026, the Bali administration aims to prioritise quality over quantity in its tourism strategy.
“It is important to determine which foreign tourists are allowed to enter and which are not, so that visitors do not cause problems and instead contribute positively, particularly to the tourism sector,” he said.
“Going forward, we will focus on quality tourism, not merely on numbers, through regional regulations and improved tourism governance,” Koster added.
