DENPASAR ~

The number of foreign visitors to Bali totaled 279,257 in January, 2014 or an increase of 19.89 percent year-on-year.

“The Ngurah Rai international airport recorded the largest number arrivals directly from their respective countries with only 572 passengers of tourist boats,” head of the Bali Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) Panusunan Siregar said on Monday.

In 2013, the number of foreign visitors to Bali totaled 3.27 million overshooting the target of 2.8 million visitors or an increase of 11.16 percent from 2.94 million in 2012.

Panusunan Siregar said the number of visitors from seven countries rose and from three other countries declined in January 2014.

The largest number of visitors came from Australia totaling 71,288 in January 2014, up 14.15 percent from 62,450 visitors in the same months 2013.

Australian accounted for 25.53 percent of the total number of visitors to Bali in January 2014, followed by China from there were 52,060 visitors or an increase of 80.52 percent from 28,839 visitors in the same month in 2013.

Visitors from Malaysia also rose 28.70 percent to 15,656 visitors in January, 2014.

Other visitors came from Singapore totaling 11,424 , up 82.57 percent from 6,254 visitors , Taiwan up 1.84 percent, the United States up 9.03 percent and from Britain up 7.06 percent.

Declines were recorded in number of visitors from Japan down 16.61 percent , South Korea down 1.37 percent and from Russia 3.16 percent.

Meanwhile, the occupancy rates of star rated hotels in Bali averaged 57.76 percent in January down 4.77 percentage points from 62.53 percent in December, 2013.

“Despite the decline, the rate was still profitable. An occupancy rate of more than 50 percent would be enough to cover operating cost and salaries of employees,” Head of the Bali Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Panusunan Siregar said here on Wednesday.

Panusunan said in January the number of foreign visitors to Bali rose 19.89 percent to 279,257 from a year earlier, but down 6.61 percent from December, 2013.

He said the highest occupancy rate in January was recorded by star rated hotels in the regency of Tabanan though declining to 71 percent from 73.13 percent a month earlier The second highest occupancy rate was 63.11 percent recorded by hotels in in the regency of Bandung also declining from 67.65 percent in the previous month, followed by hotels in Gianyar at 53.74 percent down from 59.23 percent.

In the district of Karangasem the occupancy rates of star rated hotels averaged only 42.89 percent down from 48.86 percent and in the regency of Buleleng the occupancy rates averaged 33.05 percent down from 40.80 percent and in the city of Denpasar it was 44.17 percent down from 44.80 percent.

The districts of Jembrana, Bangli and Klungkung have no star rated hotels .

Based on record at the Bali branch of the Indonesian Association of Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI), Bali has 2,260 star rated hotels and non-star rate hotels with room totaling 56,971 units.

There are also villa houses for rent in rural areas with no official licenses.

Bali is the country’s most visited tourist destination, contributing to the country’s earnings from the tourism sector.