Malaysian Tourists to Bali Increasing

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - More and more Malaysian tourists are coming to Bali, and it appeared that they have stopped their fear of the past terrorist attack.

Malaysian tourists have started flocking interesting tourist objects and destination in Bali because they are feeling safe and comfortable on the paradise island, tourism observer  Dewa Nyoman Putra said here Tuesday.

The travel advisory once issued by the Malaysian government to people planning a holiday to Indonesia, including Bali, appears to lose its effects.

Bali 's statistics agency reported Malaysian tourist coming to Bali for a holiday and fun this year up to September had increased  4.2 pct to 105,362 compared to the 101,077 in last year's same period.

The increasing number of Malaysian tourists to Bali had caused their role to reach 6.1 pct of the total foreign tourists to Bali who flew straight from their countries reached 1,919,126 in the January-September 2010 period.

Malaysia has also been the fourth biggest foreign tourist supplier after Australia with 463,189, followed by Japan 195,288 and China 157,009.

"I have once said that Bali's tourism industry need no worry about the Travel Advisory issued by other countries as it was only temporary in nature,"  Nyoman Putra said.

The Australian government had also often done the same, saying that in Indonesia or Bali something bad happened, but now Australian tourists kept coming to Bali.

"I think the warnings are quite natural because the Malaysian and Australian governments are concerned with the fate of their people in other countries," he said as a former tourist guide.

So it was only natural that the number of Malaysian tourists to Bali dropped during the various cases between the two countries like Malaya's claim on the Pendet dance the other day.

But now the Malaysians kept coming to Bali in increasing number especially on year end occasions, Putra said.(*)