Travel

Battered Bali Sees Flicker of Recovery for Upcoming Holidays

  • Bali’s economy contracted the most among Indonesia’s provinces
  • Garuda sees ticket demand rebound for year-end travel to Bali
An empty beach in Bali in September. The pandemic has sent its economy into its first recession in more than two decades after two consecutive quarters of annual contraction, with Bali and its tourism-reliant industries bearing the brunt.Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg

Bali, the hardest-hit economy among Indonesia’s provinces last quarter, is seeing a pick-up in activity as its governor continues debating when and how the island can reopen to international travelers.

The province saw its gross domestic product shrink 12.28% in the third quarter from a year ago, the worst contraction among Indonesia’s 34 provinces, even as domestic tourists were allowed to return in July. Its shores remain shut to foreign arrivals as the island scrapped an earlier plan to reopen in September due to a resurgence in coronavirus cases.