BANGLI, DEWATA.NEWS – Tourist visits to Penglipuran Tourism Village in Bangli Regency surged over the weekend ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, with daily arrivals exceeding initial projections.
Management recorded 4,500 visitors on Saturday (February 15), surpassing the initial target of 3,000 daily visits during the holiday period. The peak was expected on Sunday, with projections reaching up to 5,000 visitors.
Penglipuran Village Manager I Wayan Sumiarsa said the estimate was based on visitor patterns from previous years.
“Today we predict it will be the peak of visits, based on last year’s reference,” Sumiarsa said on Sunday (February 15).
To mark the Lunar New Year celebrations, the village organized a Barong Landung performance along the main road of Penglipuran Village. The event was held in collaboration with local youth groups (yowana desa).
According to Sumiarsa, Barong Landung is part of Bali’s cultural heritage, linked to historical narratives from the Dalem Balingkang era.
“We stage this performance every year so that visitors to Penglipuran gain a deeper experience of Bali’s cultural heritage,” he explained.
In addition to cultural attractions, village management has partnered with local residents to offer homestay packages, allowing visitors to experience village life more closely.
Sumiarsa added that the Lunar New Year holiday serves as a momentum to reinforce the village’s core values of harmony, cultural preservation, and community-based tourism.
“We encourage visitors to help preserve our cultural traditions and to maintain cleanliness during their visit,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bangli Tourism and Culture Agency (Disparbud) confirmed that no special programs were introduced specifically for the Lunar New Year period. Services at tourism sites across the regency are operating under standard procedures despite the anticipated increase in visitors.
Head of Disparbud Bangli, I Wayan Dirga Yusa, said precautionary measures were prepared to prevent congestion at tourism sites and along main access routes. These include adding payment equipment and staff at ticket counters to speed up transactions, as well as strengthening coordination with the Transportation Agency (Dishub) and Public Order officers (Satpol PP) to manage traffic and visitor flow.
“Our preparations are standard, nothing special,” Dirga Yusa said earlier on Wednesday (February 11).
Based on previous years’ data, he noted that visitor growth depends largely on the length of the holiday period. If the holiday extends beyond two days, visits could increase by up to 30 percent. If limited to two days, the rise is typically between 10 and 15 percent.
The Lunar New Year holiday is expected to help recover tourism numbers in Bangli after a decline in 2025, when visitor arrivals reportedly dropped by 380,000 compared to previous figures.