Bali to remain main holiday destination for Australians

Denpasar (ANTARA News) - To Australians, Bali will continue to be a main holiday destination because of its geographical proximity and unique attractions, a local tourism official said. 

"Whatever the obstacles, including terror threats, Australian tourists will continue to spend their holidays in Bali," Bali Tourism Board spokesman Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya said here on Monday. 

He said the number of Australian tourists visiting Bali so far had continued to increase and was now second only to the number of Japanese visitors. 

Even when the Australian government issued travel warnings on Indonesia, the number of tourists from the country's down-under increased significantly, Ngurah Wijaya said. 

He said after the execution of Bali I bombers Amrozi, Ali Gufron alias Mukhlas, and Imam Samudra early Sunday morning, the number of tourist arrivals from Australia was expected to rise at an even higher rate. 

According to Ngurah Wijaya, Australian people who are sometimes nicknamed "Europeans in Asia" know more about developments in Bali including the security situation than about conditions in other parts of the world. 

"The harder Bali police work to maintain security on the island, the more Australians will come to spend their holidays in Bali," Ngurah Wijaya said. 

He said a lot of Australian people were currently living in Bali and they would continue to inform their families and friends at home about the conducive security situation and encourage them to visit the resort island.