REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR -- The number of Chinese tourists to Bali reached 1.37 million people during the January-November 2017 period, up 467,292 people, or 51.52 percent, from 907,028 tourists during the same period last year. 

Most of them arrived at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport by direct flights, and only 164 Chinese came by cruise ships, Adi Nugroho, head of the Bali statistics office, said here, Thursday.

China is the number one source of visitors to Bali, constituting 25.54 percent of the total foreign tourist visits to Bali reaching 5.38 million during the 11 months of 2017, up 896,691 foreign tourists, or 19.99 percent from 4.48 million foreign tourists during the same period in the previous year.

Australia was in the second place constituting 18.87 percent of the total number of foreign tourists, India (4.53 percent), Britain (4.25 percent), the United States (3.30 percent), France (3.17 percent), Germany (3.15 percent), South Korea (3.12 percent), and Malaysia (2.88 percent).

In fact, the number of Australian tourists to Bali dropped by 3.02 percent and Malaysia decreased by 2.66 percent. 

The significant increase of Chinese tourists to Bali was thanks to the sound bilateral relations between the Chinese and Indonesian Governments.

Besides, Garuda Indonesia has also served direct flights connecting the Bali provincial capital of Denpasar with Chinese cities.

I Made Badra, head of the Bali tourism office, earlier expressed his please that the Chinese Government has revoked its travel warning concerning the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali, following the Indonesian Government's assurance that Bali was safe for tourists despite the increased volcanic activities.

He hoped that more Chinese tourists would spend holidays on Bali Island during the Chinese New Year celebration in February 2018. 

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