It may still be August, but avid travelers are already looking ahead to 2026.
With travel trends in Bali changing as rapidly as ever, it’s crucial for tourists to be one step ahead of the crowd….literally. Looking to 2026, it seems that Tabanan will be the name on everyone’s lips.
Tabanan Regency is far from a hidden gem-style destination, but its name is not one that is familiar to many tourists and holidaymakers. It remains the case that tourists are more familiar with the names of Bali’s top resort areas, more so than the regions they fall within.
For example, Badung Regency is an area of Bali, home to the island’s most popular and busiest resort areas. These include Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, and Kuta. Legian, Seminyak and Canggu. Yet, stop a tourist in the street and ask them where Badung Regency is, and they may not be able to tell you.
The same is certainly true for Tabanan Regency. Home to some of Bali’s most important cultural landmarks and natural landscapes, the area is better known to tourists by its attractions. Tabanan Regency is home to Tanah Lot Temple, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, and Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest.
Tabanan Regency low-key sits on many tourists’ Bali bucket lists, but is seldom explored as a whole region in its own right. Many tourists will take a whistle-stop day trip to Tanah Lot Temple and Jatiluwih Rice Terraces before hopping back over the Regency border to return to their accommodation in Canggu, Seminyak, or beyond.
Moving into 2026, it is clear that Tabanan Regency will establish itself more as a destination in its own right, not only as a day-trip hotspot. Tourism leaders in the area are working to develop more tourism villages to help promote the area to more people and support the local economy.
Tourism villages are deemed by officials in Bali as one of the top ways to spread out the positive impacts of tourism on the island, as well as promote culturally respectful and sustainable tourism.
Currently, there are 35 official tourism villages in Tabanan Regency, yet many remain completely unknown to tourists and even tour providers.
Overall, there are 133 villages within Tabanan Regency, and leaders want to see the promotion of existing destinations and the formal establishment of tourism programs in more villages, too.
The Head of Marketing for the Tabanan Regency Tourism Office, Wayan Widiatmaja, told reporters, “So far, there have been no additional tourist villages in 2025.
However, two villages have submitted applications for designations. Namely, Baturiti Village in Kerambitan District and Gubug Village in Tabanan District, as well as an additional application from Pangkungkarung Village.” He confirmed that many of the 33 existing tourism villages are still in the pilot phase.
Widiatmaja shared with reporters his hopes that with the right promotion and marketing campaigns, both domestic and international tourists will learn about Tabanan’s tourism villages and schedule a visit.
He confirmed that support is available and that teams are committed to making Tabanan’s Tourism Villages a staple of the Bali tourism scene from now on.
He noted, “Unique local wisdom, such as traditional arts, rice paddy fields, trekking, and waterfalls, still require serious attention to become leading attractions.”
He added, “We hope that several universities can act as foster parents to support tourist villages, especially those that are still in the pioneering and developing stages.”
Widiatmaja concluded, “If all elements are well developed, tourism villages in Tabanan will not only be known locally but can compete in the international market.”
Tourists planning visits to Bali in 2026 should keep an eye out for promotions and events happening in Tabanan Regency. Top hotels and resorts include the Ulaman Eco Luxury Retreat, Nuno Bali Eco Friendly Retreat, and KusFarm Bali.
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