Surge in Chinese Tourists to Indonesia Highest in 6 Years, Bali Top Destination

The surge in Chinese tourists has revived Indonesia's Tourism pulse. Bali remains the primary destination for travelers from the Bamboo Curtain nation on a significant scale, driven by the Lunar New Year Long Holiday.

The latest report from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows the number of Chinese tourist Visits to Indonesia reached 150,800 in February 2026, the highest in six years.

The number of Chinese Tourist visits in February 2026 surged 69 percent compared to the same period the previous year and increased 36 percent monthly.

This latest data is the highest since January 2020 when Chinese Tourist Visits were still at 183,700.

"The increase in tourists from China was driven by the effect of the Lunar New Year long Holiday, which certainly boosted travel by Chinese tourists in February 2026," said BPS Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics Aten Hartono at a press conference on Wednesday.

From these figures, Bali serves as both the main gateway and core destination. Approximately 52 percent of Chinese tourists entered Indonesia through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The remainder were distributed via Jakarta and Surabaya, but Bali's appeal remains dominant, with a monthly increase of about 78 percent in Chinese tourist visits to the island.

This momentum did not occur by chance. The Lunar New Year holiday period has long been a catalyst for cross-country travel in Asia.

During the crucial two weeks of February 10-24, the Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) recorded a significant surge.

Kemenpar had previously noted a 29 percent increase in Chinese tourist visits during the week before and after this year's Lunar New Year (February 10-24) compared to last year's Lunar New Year.

During those two weeks, 88,600 Chinese tourists entered Indonesia, peaking on the second day after Lunar New Year (H+2 Imlek) with nearly 7,500 tourists.

This revival has broad implications. Kemenpar refers to the positive trend of Chinese tourists returning to Indonesia as a breath of fresh air for national tourism, as it directly impacts the economy and tourism businesses in the regions.

From boutique accommodations in Ubud to family-run eateries along the coast, the pulse of the local economy is strengthening again with the increasing flow of tourists.