Bali-bound Aussies may soon need to check their bank accounts before they depart – and not just to budget for their upcoming trips.
Australia’s most popular overseas holiday destination – and a mecca for budget travellers – Bali will look to boost “quality tourism” (and the deeper pockets that could bring) by checking visitors’ bank accounts to ensure they have adequate funds before entering the Indonesian province.
The Bali Provincial Government’s plan, which would apply to international tourists, is scheduled to commence this year.
“It is important to determine which foreign tourists are allowed to enter and which are not, so that visitors do not cause problems and instead contribute positively, particularly to the tourism sector,” Bali Governor Wayan Koster said in Gianyar, in Central Bali, earlier this month.
“Going forward, we will focus on quality tourism, not merely on numbers, through regional regulations and improved tourism governance.
“One aspect of quality tourism is the amount of money in visitors’ savings accounts over the past three months.”
According to Indonesian news agency Antara, Koster added that authorities would also examine how long visitors intended to stay and what they’d be doing on the island “in line with policies adopted elsewhere”.
“This is to ensure everything is under control. When we travel to other countries, similar checks are applied,” he remarked.
More than 7 million international tourists visited Bali in 2025, the Governor said, marking the largest influx of visitors in a single year to the province. But while that’s a welcome boost for many tourism operators, it also brings pressure, particularly around the environment and infrastructure.
Koster said that the surge in arrivals has been tough to manage; however, he has also argued that the answer to these challenges lies in better rules and governance, rather than pinning problems like waste, traffic and flooding solely on tourism.
“We must address this issue, and it cannot be resolved in a day or two. It requires patience,” he stated.
According to Australian government data, Indonesia is the most popular destination among Aussie travellers, with Tourism Research Australia (TRA) figures showing a year-on-year rise in visitor numbers in 2025. This week, a Compare the Market study showed that the trend was likely to continue into 2026.
However, this growth has also led to a spike in Australian travellers getting into trouble in the province.
Earlier this year, Balinese authorities, concerned about a rise in crime involving both tourists and locals, issued new safety advice and considered fresh measures to educate visitors on respectful behaviour.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Bali’s bank-balance checks signal a possible pivot from backpacker bargains to ‘quality’ tourism. For Aussies and agents, expect potentially tighter entry scrutiny, higher expectations and conversations about value.
