Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists in Indonesia rose nearly 16 percent in February from a year ago, helped by a surge in visitors to the resort island of Bali, government data showed on Tuesday.
The predominantly Hindu island of Bali, which accounted for about 40 percent of total foreign arrivals, has seen tourist numbers rebound after a slow recovery from the impact of suicide bomb attacks by Islamic militants in 2002 and 2005.
The number of foreign tourists in Indonesia was 446,425 in February, up from 385,400 a year ago. Tourist arrivals in Bali rose 29.59 percent to 197,700 in February from a year ago.
"It's a positive start compared to last year when the industry, as in 2005-2006, was still affected by low arrivals caused by the Bali bombing," said Yessy Hidajat, a communication manager at Alila Hotels and Resort Bali.
