"The significant increase sends Singapore to the top ten sources of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali," Head of the Bali Provincial Statistics Office Gede Suarsa said here on Friday.
Last year, 97,402 Singapore tourists visited Bali, a 73.96 percent surge from 55,992 a year before.
"Singapore is one of the potential markets for Bali tourism. Hopefully, more and more Singapore tourists will visit Bali in the years to come," he said.
He said Singapore tourists accounted for 3.69 percent of the overall tourist arrivals in the months through August which reached 1.05 million, up 9.97 percent from 997,000 tourists in the same period last year.
Australia remained on top as the biggest source of tourists in Bali in those with 501,326 tourists, up 25.34 percent from 399,988 in the same period last year.
China trailed behind in second place with 108,448 tourists, up 13.28 percent from 139,501 tourists. In the third place was Malaysia with 90,438 tourists, up 19.91 percent from 90438, followed by Taiwan with 89,528 up 1.22 percent from 88,448, France with 78,082, jumping 6.92 percent from 78,082, and Britain with 67,143, up 7.67 percent from 62.358.
He added the three countries which have decreased their number of tourists are Japan, decreased 27,23 percent from 168.806 in the first eight years of 2010 to 122.838 in the first eight years of 2011, South Korea, decreased 0,93 percent from 83.342 to 82.565, and Germany, decreased 1,31 percent from 54.410 to 53.696 tourists.
Bali is famous as the largest tourist destination in Indonesia and also well known all over the world. Bali also contributed 42 percent of Indonesia`s tourism sector. More than 1.84 million foreign tourists visited Bali in the eight months though August 2011.
(T.SDP-13/H-NG/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
