SEMINYAK ~ Foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia rose 12.9 percent to 2.57 million in the seven months to July over the same period a year ago, data from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed this week.

The boost was driven by a resurgence in the popularity of Bali, where arrivals jumped to 953,014, 33.7-percent higher compared to the same period in 2006.

Arrivals via Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport declined 0.1 percent to 669,277 in the same period. Indonesia has 13 more international entry points.

In July