Malaysian Tourists to Bali Down by 6.23 Percent

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The number of Malaysian tourists vacationing to Bali reached 69,251 during the first semester of 2010, a  6.23 percent decline compared to last year's 73,853.

"While the number of Malaysians to Bali have declined, they were still fourth on the list of top ten countries  supplying foreign visitors to Bali," Ida Komang Wisnu, head of Bali Central Statistics Office, said in Denpasar Friday.

He said that the Malaysian tourists coming to Bali to  enjoy the scenery  and Balinese cultural uniqueness, arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport straight from Malaysia.

"Only two of them came by boat," Ida Komang Wisnu said.

Malaysians to Bali last year reached 120,199, up by 5,99 percent compared to those in 2008.

Ida Komang Wisnu added the Malaysians  contributed 5.87 percent of the total number of  1,180,118 foreign tourists to Bali in the first six months of 2010.

Their number in the first semester of 2010 was 10.23 percent higher than those is a 10.23 percent in 2009 or 170,595 foreign tourists.

Six of the top ten countries supplying the largest numbers of foreign tourists to Bali, had an increase in number, and four down.

The six countries whose people have increased in visiting Bali were the Netherlands with an increase of 30.53 percent from  25,876 to 36,082 visitors, Australia 53.89 percent from 180,686 to  278,049.

In the meantime, there were also increases in the  number of visit from  China with 0.33 percent from 57,994 to 98,257, followed by Taiwan by 13.10 percent from 57,994 to 65,589, Singapore 55.36 percent from 26,702 to 41,483, and the United Kingdom 2.19 percent from 37,701 to 38,526 tourists.

The four countries, whose tourists visiting Bali have decreased, apart from Malaysia, are Japan down by 22.29 percent from 154,071 in the first semester of 2009 to  119,772 in the same period of 2010.

Likewise South Korea saw a drop of  5.81 percent in the number of visits to Bali from 63,045 to 59,384, and France 7.67 percent from 45,716 to 42,211, Ida Komang Wisnu said.(*)