We hope that in 2023, there will be an increase in the number of arrivals, considering the convenience policy support and global pandemic conditions that have started to get better
Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - The Ngurah Rai Special Immigration Office Class I in Bali reported that visits by foreign nationals to Bali via air transportation in 2022 rose by over 60 thousand folds as compared to arrivals in 2021.

Head of the immigration office, Sugito, stated that throughout 2022, some 2,176,004 foreigners arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, while in 2021, only 34 foreigners arrived on the island by air transportation.

"The number of foreign arrivals through Ngurah Rai Airport increased by 6,399,911.76 percent, or an increase of 60 thousand times more than in 2021. The increase in the number is in line with the immigration policy issued by the government in an effort to restore the national economy to support the tourism sector," Sugito noted in a written statement received here, Tuesday.

The figure was dominated by Australian citizens reaching 626,783, followed by 184,702 people from India, 131,470 people from Singapore, 130,312 people from England, and 111,495 people from the United States.

Sugito remarked that throughout 2022, some 1,739,303 foreigners had entered Indonesia using the visa on arrival (VOA) or electronic VOA (e-VOA) services.

However, the number of foreigners arriving in Bali in 2022 had not reached the figure as in 2019 or the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, during which 6,206,884 people were recorded.

Sugito is optimistic that the number of foreign arrivals to Bali via air transportation would continue to increase in 2023 on account of the fact that the number of arrivals during the New Year's holidays had increased by 35 percent as compared to that during the pre-pandemic period.

"We hope that in 2023, there will be an increase in the number of arrivals, considering the convenience policy support and global pandemic conditions that have started to get better," he noted.

A report from the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office shows the highest number of foreign visits to Bali was recorded in December, at 379,030 people, followed by 308,082 people in October, 292,981 people in September, 290,667 people in November, 278,820 people in August, 252,496 people in July, 182,380 people in June, 115,326 people in May, 59,280 people in April, 15,392 people in March, and 1,550 people in February.

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Translator: Genta Tenri M, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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