Bali Overtourism? Traffic Warning Starting September

Key Points:

• South Bali (Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Jimbaran, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Sanur) has been designated as an overtourism hotspot, with severe traffic jams during peak seasons.
• Starting September 2024, construction of the Bali airport rail link will begin, worsening traffic congestion in the Kuta and Seminyak areas.
• Officials plan to divert tourists to northern, western, and eastern regions.
• Practical tips: Avoid peak periods like Christmas and New Year, allow at least double the usual travel time to and from the airport, and check out Five Tips for Avoiding Peak Season Crowds.

Bali continues to be in the spotlight for overtourism, particularly in South Bali, where overcrowding from too many visitors is a persistent issue. Since 2023, the World Travel & Tourism Council has listed Bali as a top overtourism destination, alongside Athens, Paris, and Phuket.

South Bali is already suffering from overtourism!

In early 2024, Bali made headlines again when severe traffic jams on the road to Ngurah Rai International Airport forced foreign tourists and local travelers to abandon their vehicles and walk to the airport (the Christmas and New Year holiday period ranked as the second busiest for crowds and traffic in Bali. Here’s a short video showing the situation: Highway to the airport on 2023/12/29). Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno acknowledged that South Bali has too many visitors and plans to divert them to the northern, western, and eastern regions to ease the pressure, with measures to be announced in September.

Further reading: Bali Actually Has Five Peak Seasons! How to Travel Smart and Avoid the Crowds?

South Bali includes the west coast areas of Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, and Uluwatu, as well as the east coast areas of Nusa Dua and Sanur.

Additionally, construction of the Bali airport rail link will begin this September (see 【One of Bali’s Transportation Improvement Plans】Bali LRT Construction to Start in September), and authorities have warned that severe traffic congestion is likely in the Kuta and Seminyak areas.