B

ali tourism remained strong in 2011 with foreign tourist arrivals slightly above the government’s target of 2.7 million people, according to the Tourism Agency.

Surprisingly, despite the ongoing economic woes that have riddled the US, visitors from that country rose by nearly 25 percent.

Based on data by the provincial Tourism Agency, total foreign tourist arrivals to Bali reached 2,756,579 people last year, a rise of 10.57 percent from 2,493,058 people in 2010.

The number of tourists from the United States visiting Bali last year was 90,154 people, or an increase 24.96 percent from the previous year. The US contributed 3.27 percent to the total foreign tourist arrivals to the island.

Three other nationalities showing a two-digit increase were Australia (22.09 percent), China (20.32 percent) and Singapore (17.29 percent).

“The number of tourists from the United States showed a significant increase, although the country is still facing a financial crisis. The country ranks 10th in tourist arrivals to Bali,” said agency head Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu.

Australia remained in first place with 790,965 tourists, followed by China (236,868), Japan (183,284), Malaysia (169,719), Taiwan (129,233), South Korea (126,709), France (111,542), Singapore (111,181), UK (107,975) and the US (90,154).

Sugeng Supriyanto, who manages a travel agent with Europe and the US as its main markets, said that as the economic situation in the US began to recover and the value of US dollar strengthened, more people in the country would go on holiday.

Besides, he added, Americans were interested in exploring the foreign cultures and spiritual activities, which were to be found in abundance in Asia, including Indonesia.

Bali occupies a special place in this context since the island’s predominantly Hindu population is renowned for its grand and visually captivating rituals.

“American tourists aged above 40 years like to enjoy cultural and spiritual activities, while the younger ones prefer to go on expeditions and see the underwater views. Bali has it all,” Sugeng said.

The character of tourists has also changed, as many are not picky about accommodation facilities.

Most of them used to stay in five-star hotels and go on day trips, with individual expenses reaching US$7,000 per person per visit. But now, many of them also like to go to remote areas and they don’t mind staying in cheap hotels, as long as they are clean and comfortable. They enjoy expeditions and spend around $3,000 per person.”

Although they spend less, they stay longer — typically up to 14 days.

Sugeng added that the absence of direct flights from America to Bali significantly affected the island’s tourism revenue, as the tourists had to transit in other destinations to reach Bali.

“They usually stop in Thailand or Singapore because there are direct flights from America to those countries. And those countries have similar cultures to Indonesia’s, so we might only get the rest of their money.”

Besides, many American tourists prefer to travel around Asia on cruise ships, including to Indonesia.

Ketut Ardana, deputy chairman of the Indonesia Tours and Travel Agents Association (ASITA) in Bali, said that diversifying tourist attractions was also important to attracting more tourists, including by developing spiritual tourism in Bali.

“Yoga and meditation activities in hotels are interesting alternatives for them,” he said.