Bali Booming Tourist Numbers; Foreign Tourist Arrivals in Q1 201
Foreign tourist arrivals to Bali for March 2010 increased 20.7% over the same month one year before, totaling 194,487. For the first three months of 2010 (Q1) arrivals were up 18.49% at 551,186 foreign visitors.
If arrivals maintain the 18.49% growth level through the end of 2010 that will translate into 2.64 million foreign visitors coming to the island for the entire year.
Key Markets
• Australia, which assumed the pole position as Bali's top source of tourist visitors displacing Japan in 2009, recorded a 68.93% increase year-on-year for Q1 2010 with 121,974 Australians spending their holiday in Bali. When compared to Q1 2008, business to Australia is up 112.72%
• Japan's fortunes continued to slip reflecting their troubled economy and declining travel market. Japan arrivals for Q1 2010 are down year-on-year 20.48% at 66,338. This is a downturn of 29.7% from Q1 2008. These numbers may slip even further in the aftermath of Japan Airlines' April 2010 announcement that it will terminate all flights to Bali in 2010 and close its long-standing office here.
• Taiwan is regaining lost momentum, increasing 23.34% in Q1 2010.
• South Korea's market is stabilizing to some degree. Q1 2010 arrivals decreased only 0.05% as compared to 2009 with 28,810 aarivals.
• Malaysia's dynamic growth in arrivals over the past few years shows signs of moderation with Q1 2010 arrival at 29,195 - a decrease of 2.53% when compared to the previous year.
• Russia's arrivals to Bali seem largely unaffected by the sluggish economic conditions in that country. Q1 2010 arrivals ex Russia clocked in at 21,443, increasing 5.13% over the same quarter one year before.
Long Haul Traffic – Some Good News for Bali
A strong performance by several European markets and The Americas may signal the re-emergence of a lucrative, long-staying, long-haul market for Bali.
• The entire European market increased 28.24% in Q1 2010 totaling 137,062.
• The Netherlands is among the star performers in Europe, increasing 66.46% for Q1 2010 with 19,080 Dutch visitors to Bali. Growth in the Dutch market and Europe in general bodes well for Indonesia's national carrier Garuda planning a return to Europe in mid 2010.
• France was another strong performer ex Europe improving 19.73% in Q1 2010 with 28,629 visitors.
• Germany appears to be shaking off its economic woes, at least in terms of Bali arrivals, improving 19.29% for the first three months of 2010 with 15,309 German visitors.
• The United Kingdom increased an amazing 47.57% for Q1 2010 registering 21,110 visitors.
• The Americas, which includes arrivals from both North and South America, increased 10.77% in Q1 2010 with a total of 26,486 visitors to Bali.
• United States visitors to Bali were up 12% for Q1 2010 totaling 16,520 perhaps signaling a coming recovery in U.S. arrivals.
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Source : Bali Update