RRi.CO.ID, Badung - Bali has reaffirmed its position as the main driver of Indonesian tourism. Throughout 2025, the Island of the Gods contributed approximately 55 percent of total national tourism revenue, making it the largest contributor to this sector, one of Indonesia's economic mainstays.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster revealed that Bali's tourism revenue reached approximately IDR 176 trillion in 2025. This figure is equivalent to more than half of the total national tourism revenue of IDR 320 trillion.

"If you compare IDR 176 trillion to IDR 320 trillion nationally, the contribution is 55 percent," Governor Koster said at the opening of the Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) 2026 in Badung, Saturday, May 30, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

This significant contribution is inseparable from the large number of international tourists who choose Bali as their primary destination. In 2025 alone, Bali received 7.05 million foreign tourist visits, accounting for about 45.8% of the 15.39 million international tourist visits to Indonesia.

In addition to the large number of visits, the level of tourist spending is also a crucial factor in driving Bali's high tourism foreign exchange earnings. According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the average expenditure per foreign tourist during their stay in Bali reached USD 1,522.44.

With millions of visits and this level of spending, Bali's total foreign exchange earnings from tourism in 2025 reached IDR 176 trillion, converted at an exchange rate of IDR 16,500 per US dollar.

This achievement demonstrates that Bali remains the backbone of Indonesia's tourism industry in terms of both tourist visits and its contribution to the country's foreign exchange earnings.

"This foreign tourist spending, according to the formula, is income from the tourism sector. The total amount of foreign currency circulating in Bali and being used for accommodations, transportation, restaurants, and MSMEs is IDR 176 trillion. The national total is IDR 319.9 trillion, nearly IDR 320 trillion," explained Governor Koster.

According to him, this figure demonstrates that Balinese tourism will not be easily affected by the many negative issues that will affect Bali in 2025.

The Bali Provincial Administration is committed to addressing emerging issues, such as waste management, infrastructure development, and traffic congestion to ensure the tourism sector remains resilient.

The tourism sector contributes 66 percent to Bali's economy. This data also impacts Bali's economic growth, which reached 5.82 percent in 2025.

"The per capita income in Bali is IDR 72 million, the poverty rate is only 1.42 percent, the lowest in Indonesia. The unemployment rate is also at 1.45 percent, also the lowest. This has a positive impact on the agriculture and fisheries sectors, as many hotels utilize local products such as fruit, vegetables, eggs, and rice from Bali," said Koster.

The Bali Provincial Administration acknowledges that, in addition to generating foreign exchange, the tourism sector also plays a vital role in supporting other economic sectors that directly impact the community.

This has placed Bali in fifth place for the highest economic growth in Indonesia, making it the first province without mining natural resources to achieve this ranking.

"Tourism has a significant positive impact on the community, especially farmers, fishermen, and artisans. This is the difference between the tourism sector and sectors dependent on natural resources, because in this sector, more people are involved, while in other sectors, only a few people have resources but a lot of money," he said. ***