Foreign Tourists To Bali Up 5.27 Percent

Denpasar, Bali, July 4 (Antara) - The number of foreign tourists to Bali rose 5,27 percent to 1,21 million people from January to May 2013 compared to the same period last year. "Most of them came directly from their countries through Ngurah Rai Airport," Head of National Statistics Agency (BPS) Bali office Gede Suarsa said here on Thursday. Suarasa added the number of foreigners arriving through seaport only at 19.524 people. Bali province has set the tourist arrival target for 2013 at 2,8 million, smaller than the number of foreigners had visited Bali in 2012 at 2,94 million. Suarsa said the local administration has made some efforts to reach the target, such as promoting tourism to some countries of origins of foreigners who often visited Bali. The local administration has also organized art and cultural show such as Bali Arts Festival that involved 15.000 artist from eight districts and one city in Bali. "The artist came as the best artist from their areas," he said. Bali Arts Festival is staging from Juni 15 to 13 July and showed 334 art shows and an exhibition of small industries and household handicrafts. According to Suarsa, among top ten countries supplying tourists to Bali, seven recorded a significant increase , and three others dropped. Seven countries showed an increase are Australia (increased 3,82 percent), China (7,83 percent), Malaysia (7,63 percent), Japan (20,04 percent), Taiwan (5,38 percent), Singapore (9,02 percent) and Russia (5,57 percent). Meanwhile, Bali sees decreasing number of tourists from South Korea, the United Kingdom and France. the United Kingdom`s tourists visiting the island dropped by 8,44 percent, South Korea 4,54 percent and France 4,19 percent.