Bali warned of Russian influx
A senior Bali tourism figure has warned that the move by Garuda Indonesia to launch direct flights to Moscow by the fourth quarter of this year could lead to more Russians opening tourism-related businesses of "questionable legality" on the island.
Currently, there have been many Russian people acting as tourist guides, operating travel agencies and accommodation facilities, but allegedly without proper licences," Bagus Sudibya told the Bali Daily.
"Local authorities should be alert to this and conduct better control and monitoring to avoid any bad impact on the island’s tourism, including on legal tour guides, travel agents and accommodation facilities."
Direct flights connecting Bali and Moscow are predicted to significantly increase the flow of tourists from Russia to the island.
Bali is already a popular destination for Russian tourists.
According to data from the Bali Tourism Agency, 79,338 Russians visited the island during 2013, a rise of almost 2% from 77,869 in 2012.
Garuda Indonesia this week became an official member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025