Sanur is the place to be right now! Bali’s oldest coastal vacation resort is having a serious renaissance moment, and here at The Bali Sun, we are living for it.
Sanur has received a massive set of upgrades and is now the home of medical and wellness tourism in Indonesia, but this leveling up has achieved so much more for the area than any of us thought possible.
Sanur has always had a loyal community of visitors, some of whom have returned multiple times a year for more than a decade. The return rate of visitors to Sanur is high, and with a seriously impressive set of infrastructural upgrades attracting a whole new generation of travelers, that number could be about to soar further.
For tourists who want to soak up the magic of Sanur in 2026, here at The Bali Sun, we’re advising you all to book your hotels ASAP. With the hotel occupancy rate already reaching 80% this early in 2026, come the peak season, we know we’re going to see demand rise. Perhaps one of the joys of Sanur is that it never really feels crowded. With so much beach space to go around, it doesn’t matter if the hotel occupancy rate reaches the upper echelons; it always feels laid back in Sanur.
Speaking to reporters about the increasing demand for stays in Sanur, Resort Manager of Sumitra Luxury Villas & Resort by Pramana, I Yudy Suardana, shared that the hotel has already exceeded its targets set for 2026.
Suardana shared, “In the first quarter, January to March, we exited the budget at an average of 80 percent, which means conditions are very good. Even amidst the uncertain geopolitical situation, the market is still positive.” He confirmed that the vast majority of visits, nearly 80%, are international tourists, with domestic holidaymakers accounting for just 20% of visits.
According to Suardana, Australian tourists still top the visitor charts both for Sumitra Luxury Villas and across Sanur, making up almost 50 percent of total visits. He noted that the European markets, such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, are also deemed staples of the resort.
He explained how the East Asian region is also contributing increasingly significantly, especially tourists from Japan and South Korea. He shared, “South Korea contributed around 15 percent in the first quarter. However, it decreased slightly in April because their travel patterns usually only pick up again in the June-July period.”
When asked about the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on the number of arrivals, Suardana explained, “There were cancellations, but we were able to find replacement guests. They rerouted their flights from the Middle East to India or China.”
He shared that no matter what happens this year in terms of the conflict’s impact on global travel, Sanur will remain a safe and welcoming destination for holidayers. “We will continue to strive to capture existing potential markets, while improving the quality of our products and services to remain competitive amidst global dynamics.”
There are more and more activities and events being laid on for tourists in Sanur, whether at each individual hotel, at retail and lifestyle centers like ICON Bali Mall, or at Sanur Beach itself.
On Tuesday, Puri Santrian Hotel helped facilitate a community turtle release event. A total of 41 baby turtles were released with the help of tourists on Sanur Beach.
Speaking to reporters following the event, Puri Santrian Executive Assistant Manager, I Made Suardana, shared, “Since being informed that there would be a baby turtle release, many guests were interested. They even prepared since morning to participate.”
Adding “Hopefully, this marine life can continue to thrive as before. Every year, the turtles return to lay their eggs on Sanur Beach, then we care for them and release them again.”
The release event also featured a community beach clean-up effort where locals and tourists successfully removed 20 bags of waste from the beach.
Suardana shared, “The collected waste will be managed by a third party that has collaborated with the hotel. This is also part of our support for reducing plastic waste in Bali.”
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