Nusa Dua (Antara Bali) - Emirates Airline has opened direct flights between Dubai of the United Arab Emirates and Bali which expected to facilitate tourists from Middle East to the country`s tourist island.
"Bali has been our target and important destination for Emirates," Divisional Senior Vice President of the airline Barry Brown said here on Thursday.
The first flight of Emirates with Boeing 777-300 ER arrived from Dubai in Ngurah Rai Bali's Airport on Wednesday night carrying 426 passengers.
Emirates would serve the route that would take nine hours daily flight with 13,000 seats provided for Bali flights per month, Brown added.
The non stop flight would make Bali the second destination in Indonesia after Jakarta to which flight started in 1992.
"The flights to Bali also serves as a connection flight of passengers from the United States and Europe with transit in Dubai," he said.
Head of the resource development at the tourism ministry Prof I Gede Pitana said the new route is expected to draw more foreign tourists especially from Middle East to Bali.
It also will facilitate transport of tourists from the United States and Europe with transit in Dubai, he stated.
He explanied tourists from Middle East are rich people and bigger spenders with spending averaging US$6,600 per person per visit.
Last year, there were 11,688 foreign visitors to Bali from Middle East mainly from the United Arab Emirates, or an increase of 22 percent from 2013. (WDY/DWA)
