Southeast Asia’s largest economy tightens immigration control on tourists in Bali

Immigration officers will tighten checks on foreigners’ travel documents, including passports, visas, and residence permits, Antara News Agency reported.

To facilitate this, more autogates, or automated immigration facilities, will be installed at international arrival terminals at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The integrated immigration information system will be expanded to better monitor the movements of foreign visitors, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.

This initiative follows a significant increase in tourist arrivals to Bali.

Official statistics from Indonesia’s immigration authority show that Bali welcomed 3.89 million foreign tourists between January and July, a 31% increase compared to the same period last year.

Australia was the largest source of visitors with 877,000 tourists, followed by India with 328,000 and China with 278,000.

However, there have been numerous instances of foreigners violating immigration laws and disregarding local customs, which have threatened the island’s tourism reputation, according to The Bali Sun.

So far this year, 258 foreign nationals have been deported from Bali, compared to 340 deportations last year.

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, welcomed 6.4 million foreign tourists from January to June, representing a 21% increase over the same period last year. The country aims to attract 17 million foreign visitors this year.