Indonesia's Bali tops European travel searches amid crackdown on misbehaving foreigners
Bali has been the most searched Asian destination for European tourists this summer, according to a new report from travel platform Agoda, helping
Indonesia rank second in the region even as its most popular island steps up its crackdown on misbehaving foreigners and visa violations.
Advertisement
The report was based on accommodation search data collected for dates spanning July to August, the peak of the European summer holiday season.
'Asia remains the main choice for summer vacations for Europeans,' Gede Gunawan, senior country director of Agoda for Indonesia, told local newspaper The Bali Sun. 'And Indonesia continues to be a destination in demand thanks to its rich culture, nature, and hospitality.'
Thailand topped the list overall, with Indonesia ranking second, while Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam rounded out Agoda's top five destinations in Asia for European travellers.
British tourists led the way in planning trips to Asia, followed by travellers from France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, according to Agoda's data. Among those specifically eyeing Indonesia, French holidaymakers showed the strongest interest.
Tourists watch a performance of Bali's iconic Kecak dance. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
Within Indonesia, Bali remains by far the biggest draw for Europeans, topping Agoda's list of most searched resort destinations. Bangkok and Thailand's Koh Samui ranked second and third, respectively. The data also pointed to rising interest in other Indonesian destinations, including Lombok and the capital, Jakarta.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Let's understand ‘check-in' culture, not judge mainland Chinese tourists
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I refer to 'Why are mainland Chinese tourists posing in front of MTR stations in Hong Kong?' ( June 14 ). basketball court in Kennedy Town has seen an influx of tourists not playing basketball but photographing a slice of the sea framed by ageing buildings. Likewise, the former Yau Ma Tei police station has become a must-visit. Your article quotes Professor Song Haiyan as saying: 'For Chinese tourists, the act of posting and receiving likes is more important than the actual experience.' This oversimplifies a much richer phenomenon. RedNote (Xiaohongshu) is one of China's largest user-generated content platforms, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users. For many, the act of 'checking in' is not merely taking a photo for validation; it involves advance planning and making a personalised journey. Reducing this to vanity misses the cultural nuance and economic impact of the trend. The issue is not whether 'check-in' tourism is inferior to in-depth travel, but how both reflect diverse forms of engagement that deserve equal respect. One group may prefer heritage hotels steeped in tradition; the other might opt for trendy boutique lodgings. Neither group is more authentic than the other, they simply reflect different preferences.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong sports park scores in undisputed comeback for tourist numbers
The city's leaders have long proclaimed, 'Hong Kong is back!' It has taken a while for that to be fully reflected on the ground after the pandemic restrictions on top of the 2019 protests. Advertisement But the latest tourism figures leave no doubt, no matter whether they are down to the number of visitors, where they are from, or who the big spenders are. The 4 million-plus visitors in May, including mainlanders, surpassed the number for the same month last year by 20 per cent overall. The potential for more growth in thriving new markets has led to calls for relaxed entry rules for tourists from Vietnam and India in particular – a sensible move. Currently, Indians need to register before arrival for visa-free entry, while Vietnamese require a visa. Mainlanders, of course, dominated arrivals, accounting for more than 3 million in May – if not the biggest spending per head. Advertisement They were up 19 per cent according to preliminary figures, which reflected the five-day Labour Day break. Hence the emphasis on sating their appetite for unique experiences rather than shopping. The number of non-mainland tourists also leapt by 24 per cent from May last year to 955,345. Five new markets – Gulf Cooperation Council countries, India, Vietnam, Russia and the Netherlands – averaged 21 per cent year-on-year growth, to 74,746 arrivals.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
China's C929 widebody passenger jet to make maiden commercial flight by 2035: source
The company developing China's first home-grown widebody passenger jet – the C929 – is aiming to see it make its maiden commercial flight by 2035, foreign partners have been told at this week's Paris Air Show, according to a person familiar with the discussion. Advertisement The time frame, although longer than previous estimates, was in line with the 'long-haul' one that Boeing and Airbus used when developing their first widebodies and reflected Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (Comac) 'prudence' and emphasis on safety, the person, who requested anonymity, added. Comac told its partners this week that it expects the C929 – which is likely to resemble the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 series – to be certified in China by 2032. 'Currently we plan to achieve TC (type certificate) in 2032,' a senior Comac manager said during a presentation at the air show. 'The C929 has entered the detailed design phase ... this is our future. We would like to offer a new twin-aisle aircraft to our customers.' Advertisement The C919, Comac's first mainline narrowbody jet, went into commercial operation in China in May 2023, less than a year after it was certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in September 2022. The widebody C929 will carry up to 440 people and have a maximum range of 12,000km – roughly the distance from Shanghai to New York.
