Bali tourism unaffected by global crisis

The current global financial crisis exacerbated by the outbreak of H1N1 influenza, has not affected Bali's tourism industry, say experts.

Aloysius Purwa, chairman of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Association of Travel Agencies (Asita), said Bali had experienced significant growth in the number of tourists visiting from January to May 2009.

"The number of tourists from China, Malaysia and Taiwan has increased," Purwa said.

Based on the latest data from the Bali office of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of Chinese tourists reached 21,492.

The number of tourists from Malaysia is also increasing, while Japan and Australia have remained the island's top markets since the early l980s.

New agro-tourism village in Karangasem

The Bali provincial administration is currently developing an agro-tourism village project in Besakih, Karangasem regency, 75 kilometers east of Denpasar.

The project, overseen by the provincial agricultural agency, is scheduled to be completed within the next five years.

It covers a 200 hectare plot of land belonging to the Besakih community.

Head of the agriculture office, Wayan Badra Wisnaya, told reporters on Friday that since 2008, local farmers have grown 4,000 orange trees and 5,000 durian (durio zibethinus murr) trees on their lands.

"The office provided seeds for trees to the crop and horticultural office, valued at Rp 150 million," said Winaya.

Bali yet to lure tourists leaving Thailand

Bali has failed to attract foreign tourists leaving Thailand's political problems, said an official at Ngurah Rai International Arport.

Dimyati, assistant public relations manager of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, said there had been no increase in flights from Thailand to Bali.

"Everything is normal. We have regular flights to Bangkok by Thai Airways and Air Asia," Dimyati said.

Anti-government protesters managed to force their way into the venue of the East Asian Summit at a hotel in Pattaya, Thailand, on Sunday.

Many foreign leaders were trapped in the hotel and had to be evacuated on board helicopters to U Tapao military airbase.

Bali Traveling

Bali becomes hotspot as Aussies seek value for money

Indonesia is becoming a new hot spot for Australian tourists, with the numbers travelling there rising 24 per cent in a year to record levels.

The Bureau of Statistics reported that overseas travel had shrunk 2 per cent since its peak in August. Yet travel to Indonesia has jumped almost 20 per cent, overtaking the United States, Britain and Thailand to become Australians' second most popular destination, behind New Zealand.

The Philippines, New Zealand and the Pacific islands are also becoming more popular as destinations for budget-conscious travellers.