DENPASAR ~ Data released by the Bali Statistics Office this week says tourism is up so far this year, with the number of foreigners visiting the island in February registering a 30-percent increase on the same month last year.

From the beginning of January to the end of February this year, a total of 294,032 tourists visited Bali, the report said.

In February alone, 153,707 people visited, 152,702 via airport and 1,005 via seaport.

According to the data, the majority of tourists during that period were Japanese (22.93 percent), followed by Chinese (11.95 percent), Australian (10.07 percent), Taiwanese (9.02 percent) and South Korean (6.28 percent).

The office said the average occupancy rate of star-rated hotels in Bali during January reached 55.85 percent, with the highest occupancy rate in Tabanan Regency, and the lowest in Buleleng.