SANUR, BALI – 14 September 2026 — Bali’s position as a leading international tourism and business events destination was reinforced through the successful staging of the 11th Bali Tourism Awards at the Bali Beach Convention Center, Sanur, on 14 September 2026.
Organised by the ITTA Foundation, the annual awards recognise excellence across Indonesia’s tourism industry and provide a platform for tourism businesses and professionals to demonstrate their commitment to quality, innovation and service. The 11th edition recognised outstanding achievements across a broad range of sectors, including accommodation, tourism education institutions, tourism area management, convention centres, restaurants, tourist attractions and wellness centres.
For international business event planners, the awards provide an important indication of the depth and diversity of Bali’s tourism ecosystem. The range of recognised sectors reflects the island’s capacity to support events beyond the meeting venue itself, with accommodation, dining, attractions, wellness, destination experiences and professional tourism services forming an integrated ecosystem for conferences, incentives, corporate meetings and other business events.
The ITTA Foundation has played an active role in promoting higher standards within Indonesia’s travel and tourism sector through its recognition programmes and industry initiatives. Its collaboration with BINUS Business School in conducting tourism-related research also contributes to a more structured and research-informed approach to evaluating tourism performance and excellence.
“Awards such as the Bali Tourism Awards recognise the organisations and people who continuously raise the standards of Bali’s tourism industry. For Bali’s business events sector, this commitment to quality is particularly important. International event planners need confidence that the destination can deliver not only outstanding venues, but also professional services, meaningful experiences and reliable destination support. We hope this recognition will encourage further innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth.”
Focus on Quality Tourism and Destination Experience
The event highlighted the importance of positioning quality tourism, rather than simply visitor volume, as a priority for Bali. In her remarks, the Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office emphasised that tourism is an integral part of Balinese life and is closely connected to the island’s culture and spirituality. International visitor arrivals had reached approximately four million by August 2026, while domestic tourism remained relatively stable, underlining the continued strength of Bali’s tourism market.
For the business events sector, however, continued growth must be matched by improvements in service quality, human resources and visitor experience. International delegates and incentive travellers increasingly seek experiences that are authentic, meaningful and professionally delivered. Bali’s competitive advantage therefore lies not only in its natural and cultural attractions, but also in its ability to deliver high-quality experiences across the entire visitor journey.
Innovation and sustainability were also highlighted as essential elements of Bali’s future tourism development. These priorities are increasingly aligned with the expectations of international meeting and event planners, who are placing greater emphasis on responsible destination management, meaningful local engagement and sustainable event practices.
BaliCEB Commends Industry Excellence and Collaboration
Dr Ketut Jaman, Chairman of the Bali Convention & Exhibition Bureau (BaliCEB), welcomed the recognition of excellence across Bali’s tourism industry.
“Awards such as the Bali Tourism Awards recognise the organisations and people who continuously raise the standards of Bali’s tourism industry. For Bali’s business events sector, this commitment to quality is particularly important. International event planners need confidence that the destination can deliver not only outstanding venues, but also professional services, meaningful experiences and reliable destination support. We hope this recognition will encourage further innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth.”
The event also reinforced the importance of stronger collaboration between government and the tourism industry. A well-connected tourism ecosystem enables Bali to respond more effectively to the evolving requirements of international event organisers and to strengthen the destination’s competitiveness in the global business events market.
Elevating Bali’s Global Business Events Strategy
For BaliCEB, initiatives such as the Bali Tourism Awards contribute to a broader destination strategy: positioning Bali not simply as a leisure destination, but as a high-quality, experience-driven and sustainable destination for international business events.
With its combination of world-class hospitality, diverse venues, distinctive cultural experiences, wellness offerings and a growing professional events ecosystem, Bali continues to offer international planners opportunities to design business events that combine business objectives with authentic Balinese experiences.
BaliCEB congratulates the ITTA Foundation, all award recipients and the wider tourism industry on the successful 11th Bali Tourism Awards. The Bureau looks forward to continued collaboration with industry partners in strengthening Bali’s position as a premier destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions and other international business events.
(BaliCEB Media Team)