DENPASAR – Foreign tourist arrival to Bali in April 2009 totaled 179,879, representing the best April on record for Bali tourism and 21.9 percent improvement over April 2008 (147,515).
Viewed cumulatively, Bali Update said the first four months of 2009 saw 645,061 foreign tourists come to Bali, an increase of 8.1 percent when compared to the same period last year (596,469).
As predicted by balidiscovery.com, April 2009 also saw the historical unseating of Japan by Australia from its top-ranking as the largest source market for Bali.
Through the end of the first four months of 2009 Australian arrivals totaled 102,179 – increasing almost 31 percent as compared to the same period in 2008.
The figures reflect extra air capacity between Australia and Bali.
Meanwhile, reflecting their troubled national economy, Japanese visitors decreased 7.4 percent for the first four months of 2009.
