Increase on European Tourist Flow to Bali

Kompas, THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2009 | 6:20 AM

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Upacara Hari Raya Galungan di Bali tahun ini jatuh pada Rabu, 14 Oktober 2009.

DENPASAR, KOMPAS.com - In the June-August period of 2009, Bali was visited by a total of 383,863 European tourists accounting for 26 percent of the overall number of foreign tourist arrivals in the period which was recorded at 1,464,739.

According to data from Bali’s Tourism Office in Denpasar on Wednesday, the number of European tourist arrivals in June was 46,124 , in July 68,782, and in August 67,815 , so that the total figure for the three-month period was 383,863.

The number of foreign tourists spending their holidays in Bali had increased thanks to the Bali provincial government’s efforts to improve tourist services and protection, said Made Kawiana, a local tourism observer.

Three European countries were listed among the top ten contributors to Bali’s foreign tourist inflow, and among the three France was number one, followed by Britain and Germany.

A contributing factor to the increase in European tourist arrivals was the adequate air links between Europe and Indonesia, Kawiana said.

Kawiana, who is a former tourist guide, said, tourists from Europe usually stayed relatively longer in Bali than most foreign tourists. They could stay up to a month, compared to other Asian tourists such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan, who on average stayed less than a week.

"European tourists generally enjoyed the artistic forms of Balinese culture, especially the cremation ceremony of "Ngaben", and liked to observe the unique customs of the Balinese people."