Karangasem logs 688,945 tourist visits to August, led by Tirta Gangga

Amlapura — Karangasem recorded 688,945 tourist visits

The figure was reported by Bali Post on 8 September 2026 and by detikBali on 6 September 2026, both citing the head of the Karangasem Culture and Tourism Agency (Disbudpar), I Putu Eddy Surya Artha. Both outlets stated that the total covers international and domestic visitors to attractions across the district.

According to the agency’s data reported by these outlets, foreign visitors accounted for 552,089 of the total, while domestic visitors numbered 138,856. These two figures sum to 690,945, which is 2,000 more than the reported total of 688,945. The reports did not offer a reason for the difference, and the agency has not publicly clarified the discrepancy.

• Reported total visits, January–August 2026: 688,945.
• Reported foreign visitors: 552,089.
• Reported domestic visitors: 138,856.
• Taman Tirta Gangga visits: 258,069.

Tirta Gangga leads eastern Bali attractions

In both reports, Surya Artha described Taman Tirta Gangga as the leading attraction in Karangasem, with 258,069 visits in the January–August period. The site outperformed other well-known destinations in the district such as Lempuyang Temple and Besakih Temple, although the agency did not publish detailed visitor totals for those locations in the August data set.

The agency’s tourism profile notes that Karangasem’s attractions include coastal resorts such as Candidasa and cultural and religious sites in the interior, positioning the district as an eastern Bali alternative to the island’s main southern tourism centers. The 2025 annual data cited by local media indicated around 1.28 million visits that year, suggesting that the January–August 2026 performance remains below a typical full-year total.

High season underperforms

Surya Artha told local media that the July–August period, which is usually part of the high season, did not reach the expected level of activity. He said the agency had not identified a single definitive cause, while information received by the district suggested that tourism across Bali was experiencing weaker performance.

Broadcast outlet RRI reported that hotel and accommodation occupancy in Karangasem in August 2026 was only around 60–70 percent, down from roughly 80 percent in the same period a year earlier. The report quoted local officials who said that July, August and September would typically see occupancy above 80 percent due to peak tourist arrivals.

Local media also reported Surya Artha’s view that redevelopment work at Candidasa Beach could be one factor affecting tourism, particularly for visitors who traditionally stay in or around the coastal area. He expressed hope that arrivals would improve after the work is completed, but neither outlet gave a timeline or quantitative estimate of the project’s impact on visitor numbers.

Targets and year-on-year comparison

According to earlier statements published in January 2026, Karangasem received around 1.28 million tourist visits in 2025, of which about 1.03 million were foreign and 0.25 million domestic. In those reports, Surya Artha said the district aimed to maintain or increase average annual visits of around 1.2 million.

Based on the January–August 2026 total of 688,945 visits, the district would need to attract several hundred thousand additional visitors in the final months of 2026 to match the previous year’s performance. Local officials have said the agency intends to continue promoting Karangasem’s attractions while monitoring broader trends affecting tourism across Bali.

Sources

• Bali Post
• Radar Bali (Jawa Pos Group)
• RRI Denpasar
• Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Karangasem (official profile)
• detikBali (January 2026 report)