DENPASAR

The number of tourists from Rusia spending their holiday in Bali by charter planes in average is 9.000 people per month.

The arts and cultural activities continuously happening in Bali becomes one of the attractions that makes people from the Read Bear country coming to Bali, said Made Putrawan, a Rusian-specialist tourist guide.

“Besides arts and culture, Balinese people who are friendly as well as security and comfort also make Rusian tourists enjoying their stay in Bali,” he said.

The natural panorama and friendly people is one of attractive things that makes people from Rusia want to visit Bali by staying in the international-standard hotels in the area of Nusa Dua, Jimbaran as well as Ubud.

According to Putrawan who often accompanies Rusian tourists going around tourist attractions in Bali, his guests are pleased watching arts and culture attraction such as Barong Dance and religious ceremony done by villagers.

Rusian tourists love various activities done by villagers in addition to see various crafts especially children making plaits from bamboo mixed with rattan.

Rusian is relatively extravagant spending their money for shopping both for foods and any type of crafts such as souvenirs. Moreover they stay for more than one week in average, said Putrawan.

Meanwhile, data from Bali Tourism Department mentioned that the number of Rusian tourists visit directly from their country is 35,570 people during January-April 2013 or it’s on the top seven of countries contributing foreign tourists to Bali.

Rusian tourists coming to Bali mostly between December and January, whereas in other months it is fluctuated, but overall it keeps increasing and it is expected that it will continue, said Putrawan.