Tourist Arrivals In Bali Up 3.6 Pct

Denpasar, Bali, June 3 (Antara) - More than 969,382 foreign tourists visited Bali in the first four months of 2013, up 3.60 percent from the same period last year when the figure was recorded at 935,724, according to the local statistics office. "The number of tourists from eight of the top ten sources of foreign tourists in Bali rose significantly while that of two others declined," Head of the Bali Provincial Statistics Office Gede Suarsa said here on Monday. Bali has set the target of tourist arrivals for 2013 at 2.8 million, while more than 2.94 foreign tourists visited the world-renowned tourist island last year. Gede said a total of 242,935 Australian tourists visited Bali in the first four months to April, an increase of 2.07 percent compared to the same period last year. The figure put Australia in the first place, contributing 25.06 percent of the overall tourist arrivals in the January-April 2013 period. This was followed by China in second with 128,134 tourists, Japan in third with 65,438 tourists, and Malaysia in fourth with 53,027 tourists. Taiwan was in sixth with 38,298 tourists, Singapore in eighth with 34,511 tourists, Russia in ninth with 34,182 tourists and the US in tenth with 32,896 tourists. Compared to the same period last year, the number of tourists from Australia visiting Bali in the year ended April 31, 2013 rose 2.07 percent, China 3.09 percent, Japan 18.22 percent, Malaysia 5.03 percent, Taiwan 4.42 percent, Russia 4.43 percent, Singapore 6.03 percent and the US 15.50 percent. However, the number of tourists from South Korea fell 2.99 percent to 40,483 and the UK declined 8.98 percent to 33,181. Despite the drop, South Korea remained in fifth and the UK in seventh among the top ten sources of tourist arrivals in Bali.