Bali Resort Hosts Hong Kong Travel Agents, Free Domestic Flights Offered to Foreign Tourists

BADUNG, BALI — Foreign tourists visiting Indonesia are being offered an additional incentive ahead of Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day on August 17, 2026. Selected international round-trip passengers flying with Garuda Indonesia can receive a free domestic flight to one of 33 destinations in Indonesia.

The initiative was highlighted by Vinsensius Jemadu, Deputy for Tourism Products and Event Organizers at the Ministry of Tourism, during a dinner gathering with around 30 travel agents from Hong Kong at Bali Relaxing Resort & Spa, Badung, on Friday, August 7, 2026.

The event was attended by the owner of Bali Relaxing Resort & Spa, Ricky Tse.

According to Jemadu, the program is a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Garuda Indonesia, with a total allocation of 170,845 domestic flight tickets connected to selected international journeys.

“For the Australian market, around 44,000 tickets are available, while approximately 9,300 tickets are allocated for the Hong Kong market. If a foreign tourist wants to travel to Yogyakarta after arriving in Jakarta, the domestic ticket to Yogyakarta is free, provided the passenger returns to Jakarta before flying overseas,” Jemadu said.

Garuda Indonesia has also confirmed the program through its #DiscoverMoreIndonesia campaign. Eligible foreign travelers purchasing selected international round-trip tickets to Indonesia can obtain one additional domestic flight at no extra charge, excluding Jakarta and Bali.

The promotion requires travelers to use the special INDO promotional code when booking through Garuda Indonesia’s official channels or application.

“This initiative supports the target of increasing international tourist arrivals while also supporting major international events being held in Indonesia,” Jemadu said.

Among the events expected to benefit from the initiative are MotoGP Mandalika, Borobudur Marathon and international music concerts.

Bali Remains the Main Gateway

Jemadu said Bali remains the most popular destination for international tourists. However, the government is now working to connect major international source markets with other Indonesian destinations.

“Bali remains the favorite destination. We are now trying to connect 15 international markets with other regions across Indonesia,” he said.

The markets include Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, India and Taiwan, as well as European markets such as the Netherlands, Russia, Germany and France.

The government is also encouraging international travelers to explore Lombok and Labuan Bajo.

Jemadu noted that several Chinese airlines already connect China with destinations such as Surabaya, Manado and Medan, creating opportunities to distribute international tourist traffic beyond Bali.

“We are still encouraging international tourists to travel to Lombok and Labuan Bajo,” he said.

Labuan Bajo Needs Stronger Local Human Resources

Jemadu said Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, has significant potential as a premium tourism destination. However, improving attractions and strengthening local human resources remain important challenges.

He stressed that the development of tourism infrastructure must be accompanied by improvements in the quality and skills of local workers.

“With adequate human resources and improved skills, I hope local people can become hosts in their own destination.”

“If possible, managerial positions and above should be occupied by local sons and daughters,” he added.

According to Jemadu, the same principle applies to other Tourism Super Priority Destinations (DPSP), including Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika and Likupang.

The five DPSP areas designated by the Indonesian government are Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo and Likupang.

“Tourism is fundamentally a service or hospitality business,” Jemadu said.

He explained that Indonesia’s tourism destinations need not only physical infrastructure but also skilled personnel capable of delivering high-quality services.

Labuan Bajo Positioned as a Premium Destination

Regarding concerns over the relatively high cost of traveling to Komodo National Park, Jemadu said the destination was intentionally developed as a premium and special-interest tourism area.

“Labuan Bajo is about the sea and Komodo. It is a special-interest destination aimed at visitors with specific interests and higher spending power. It is a segmented market, and we are not preparing it for mass tourism,” Jemadu said.

He acknowledged that backpackers continue to visit the area, but said the government is increasingly focusing on quality tourism rather than simply pursuing tourist numbers.

The development of Labuan Bajo, he added, also takes lessons from Bali, particularly regarding infrastructure, destination management and the consequences of uncontrolled tourism growth.

“Labuan Bajo has placed its electricity cables underground. This is one of the lessons learned from the problems experienced in Bali,” he said.

Jemadu also expressed hope that Bali's tourism workforce could serve as a benchmark for the development of local human resources in Labuan Bajo and other emerging destinations.

Hong Kong Market Shifts After COVID-19

Steve Lam, Chairman of the Association Travel for Operation MICE and Leisure Hong Kong, said tourist behavior has changed significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Steve Lam

“Tourists have changed dramatically since COVID-19. The market has shifted from high-volume mass tourism toward packaged tours and independent travel,” Lam said.

According to Lam, destinations such as Manado and Raja Ampat have attracted increasing interest, particularly among diving enthusiasts.

He also pointed out that Chinese tourists currently have strong travel options to Thailand because of the large number of available flights.

“China needs more direct flights to Bali. This is where support from the central government to develop the North Bali International Airport can create a greater opportunity,” Lam said.

Lam said Hong Kong and Chinese travelers remain interested in tour packages, incentive travel and MICE programs.

“The packages that are popular among Hong Kong and Chinese travelers are tour packages, incentive tours and MICE,” he said.

The Association Travel for Operation MICE and Leisure Hong Kong, he added, has more than 50 travel-agent members.

The dinner at Bali Relaxing Resort & Spa thus became a forum for strengthening cooperation between the Indonesian tourism sector and the Hong Kong travel industry, while promoting greater distribution of international tourists beyond Bali to other priority destinations across Indonesia.

Editor: Ray