It’s only the first working week of 2026, and the Bali Provincial Government is already setting fresh precedents for the year ahead.
Bali has long been on a mission to attract more high-quality tourists, and with his most recent announcement, Bali Governor Wayan Koster has explained how he plans to ensure only high-spending and respectful foreigners enter the island.
The Bali Provincial Government has confirmed plans to check the financial situation of all foreigners arriving on the island, including short-stay tourists and holidaymakers.
Speaking at a press conference held in Ubud, Bali Governor Wayan Koster shared, “One aspect of a quality tourist that needs to be considered is the amount of money in your savings account over the last three months.”
It is not only financial statements that Governor Koster wants to add to the list of prerequisites for tourists, but also a clear outline of itinerary plans and planned activities.
He added, “This is to ensure everything is under control, just like when we [Indonesians] travel to other countries, we will do the same with other countries’ policies.”
The statements were issued alongside Indonesian Tourism Minister Widiyanti Wardhana, who has given her backing to the plans. Governor Koster confirmed that in 2025 the province welcomed 7.05 million tourists, and the province will seek to replicate or increase this figure in 2026.
The Ministry of Tourism has yet to announce tourism targets for 2026, but it is expected to be in excess of 14 million international arrivals.
Governor Koster has previously expressed his desire to control better the quality of tourists visiting the province. During his first term in office, he also shared plans to implement a minimum spend policy, visitor quotas, and checks on tourists’ financial statements.
There are many reasons these policies were not followed through the first time around, not least because immigration checks fall under the jurisdiction of the central government.
It would be difficult, though not impossible, for the Bali Provincial Government to create new legislation specifying the amount of money forgers must have in their bank accounts to be permitted entry into the province. Bali has already proven it is possible with the launch of the Bali Tourism Tax Levy policy back in 2024.
Governor Koster has not suggested how much money tourists will have to prove that they have available.
Technically, it is already the case that tourists applying for the Visa on Arrival and eVisa on Arrival have to be able to show evidence of sufficient funds to support their stay should Immigration request it.
There are concerns, however, that announcing plans to create such a policy will put prospective tourists off visiting Bali, and Indonesia more broadly.
Tourism leaders are already citing concerns that travel figures in the first quarter of 2026 could be lower than usual, due to a huge range of local, national, and international factors, including traffic jams in Bali, flooding in Sumatra, and global unrest.
While many note that these plans are sensitive and fair, especially since these kinds of checks and restrictions are placed on Indonesian nationals who travel abroad, others note that it is not the low-budget tourists who are causing many of Bali’s biggest problems, but rather the rich investors.
It is the foreigners who have money that are behind many of Bali’s most pressing issues, including the rapid conversion of productive agricultural land to tourism and residential properties.
Governor Koster concluded, “We’re mobilising everyone to get people to come to Bali. That’s what is happening now, and they [tourists] are enjoying themselves. We have to address this long-term, and it can be done in a day or two; it requires patience.”
He concluded, “Going forward, we will begin to focus on quality tourism, not just quality, but quality tourism designed through regional regulations and tourism governance.”
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