We laud the award given in Singapore on February 15, 2017."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The DestinAsian Readers Choice Award (RCA) 2017 was bestowed on Bali for being named the best island destination for the 12th consecutive year.
"We laud the award given in Singapore on February 15, 2017," Deputy for International Marketing Development of the Ministry of Tourism I Gde Pitana stated here on Thursday.
The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism was invited to receive the award.
DestinAsian had implemented an open voting system for over 12 years and has bestowed awards based on the readers choice.
The voters highlighted areas, such as staff hospitality, quality of service, convenience of location, facilities, and culinary attractions.
The poll was conducted in August and October 2016, featuring 31 different categories, including hotels and resorts, serviced residences, spas, airlines, airports, and destinations.
DestinAsian Publisher Ronald Liem said there were some changes made in DestinAsian RCA this year in an attempt to offer greater freedom and competitive value.
"In addition to including several new categories, the DestinAsian has expanded in areas, such as special awards for the industry in some countries, and the assessment is no longer only given to the first and second winners but also to those on the top 10 list," he revealed.
Bali had earlier been selected as one of the worlds best islands by the US Travel+Leisure Magazine at the end of 2015.
Based on the New York-based Travel+Leisure Magazine, the ratings of the worlds best islands are the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, with a score of 90.82; Bali in Indonesia, 88.98; the Maldives, 88.53; Tasmania in Australia, 88.32; Santorini in Greece, 87.93; Moorea in French Polynesia, 87.9; Maui in Hawaii, 87.89; Kauai in Hawaii, 87.88; the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, 87.31; and Malta, 86.9.
Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office A.A. Yuniartha Gede Putra stated that the foreign tourist arrivals in Bali are expected to reach 5.5 million in 2017.
Putra remarked that foreign tourists in Bali mainly came from 10 countries: Australia, China, Japan, the Great Britain, France, India, Malaysia, the US, Germany, and South Korea.
"Given the uniqueness of Balinese art and culture, it attracts tourists from various countries around the world," Putra noted.
Putra said he had promoted the region in various countries to attract more travelers to Bali. The Ministry of Tourism has also undertaken similar efforts.
Besides this, steps were taken to boost cultural tourism, as Bali has its own regional identity.
He urged everyone to ensure that the local tourism department functions smoothly, so that tourists in Bali feel safe and comfortable, as they enjoy their holidays.
(Uu.A063/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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