High Influx of Tourists Expected During Peak Holiday Season

Eid al-Fitr, marks the end of the Ramadan fasting month, obligatory for Muslims. This year, it will be observed from April 10th to 11th, but the celebrations themselves will last for a week. Official holidays in the country will be from April 8th to 15th. Immigration offices, like all government agencies, will be closed during this period.

This means that the flow of local tourists to the Island of the Gods, despite the fact that mostly Hindus reside here, will significantly increase. If you are planning to travel around the island or attend any events, restaurants, attractions, etc., during these dates, it makes sense to book everything in advance.

Perry Markus, Secretary of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, noted: "Likely, hotel occupancy during the Eid al-Fitr holidays will increase to 70-80% compared to the current average occupancy of 50-60%." He also added that hotel room prices are expected to increase accordingly.

Of course, hotels and restaurants want to get their share of profit from these holidays. An increase in boat occupancy to nearby islands such as Gili, Nusa Penida, and Lembongan is expected as well. If you plan to go there, it's worth buying tickets in advance. The Bali Ministry of Transportation forecasts that during the holidays, Bali will be visited by more than one and a half million people, which is 20 percent more than last year. In addition to tourists traveling by planes, guests from other Indonesian cities will also come to the island using their own transportation. It is expected that during this time, the number of cars on the roads will increase by 180 thousand units. Authorities are also concerned about inspecting public transportation for readiness to transport passengers. Changes are being made to the transportation flow to optimize traffic, including temporary bans on U-turns in some places, installing barriers, restricting the exit of non-motorized vehicles such as horse-drawn carts and bicycle rickshaws from the roads.

Sources: balipost, balitribun