Advertisement
Tourists back in Bali in force, except for the Chinese, and room prices rise as hotels struggle to find staff
- An Airbnb report shows that Kuta, a resort area in Bali, is the most popular travel search on its site, with four others in Southeast Asia in the top 10
- Hotels on the holiday island are booked out at Christmas and New Year, prices are rising and new staff hard to find – and Chinese tourists haven’t returned yet
3-MIN READ3-MIN
1
Tourism in Bali has roared back to life, with the Indonesian island topping Airbnb’s list of the world’s most popular holiday destinations and many hotels there already fully booked for the end-of-year holiday period.
Released in November, Airbnb’s Winter Release Highlights shows that Kuta, a beachside district 10 minutes’ drive from Bali’s international airport, which resembled a ghost town during the pandemic, was the No 1 trending destination for searches worldwide on Airbnb between July and October this year.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was the second most searched destination, followed by Itapema, a city in Brazil’s south. Of the 10 most searched destinations, five are in Southeast Asia, two are in Australia and only one – Malaga, in Spain – is in the northern hemisphere, where it is winter.
Made, an Airbnb host who manages a three-bedroom villa in Cemagi, a semirural beachside district nearly 20km northwest of Bali’s airport, has been overwhelmed by inquiries on Airbnb.
Select Voice
Select Speed
1x
AI-generated voice