Bali Governor Wayan Koster recently emphasised the importance of improving transportation access to Ngurah Rai International Airport to address growing traffic congestion caused by rising tourist arrivals.
The growth in tourist visits, which has had a positive impact on the Balinese economy, also requires that tourist destinations remain unaffected by issues such as traffic congestion. The Governor, therefore, believes that Bali’s tourism ecosystem must be continuously strengthened, with transportation infrastructure remaining a key priority.
With tourist arrivals continuing to grow, the importance of maintaining a positive tourism image has become increasingly urgent. According to the Governor, in 2025 alone, Bali welcomed 7.05 million international tourists through Ngurah Rai International Airport. Combined with 9.2 million domestic tourists, the total number of visitors exceeded 16 million.
“Strengthening transportation accessibility in and out of the airport is an urgent concern because it is related to the issue of congestion. If not addressed, this problem could affect Bali’s tourism image,” Koster said, as reported by the press on Wednesday, the 17th of June.
Meanwhile, Ferry Kusnowo, Director of Strategy and Technology Development at PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, explained that the discussion was a continuation of previous meetings. The initiative ultimately aimed to gather input from various stakeholders to produce a more comprehensive study.
“As part of our efforts to strengthen transportation connectivity, we are collaborating with Udayana University, which has conducted a comprehensive study on various accessibility issues to and from I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport,” Kusnowo said as well.
The Bali Provincial Government has recently undertaken various efforts to address persistent traffic congestion across the Island of the Gods. Most recently, the Bali Transportation Agency conducted a Traffic Management and Engineering (Manajemen dan Rekayasa Lalu Lintas or MRLL) trial to reduce congestion in the Sanur tourist area of Denpasar from the 2nd to the 15th of June. The MRLL trial focused particularly on Jalan Hang Tuah.
“Congestion at that point [Jalan Hang Tuah] is related to traffic at the Ngurah Rai By Pass in the section around the Grand Bali Beach Hotel intersection. If the Jalan Danau Beratan-Hang Tuah intersection is congested, the tail of the queue sometimes reaches the Grand Bali Beach intersection and blocks traffic at the Ngurah Rai By Pass,” the Head of Bali Transportation Agency, I Kadek Mudarta, previously said back in May.