DENPASAR ~

Department of Tourism Denpasar, Bali, targeting foreign tourists to visit attractions of Sanur Beach, museums, and a number of traditional markets in the city of about 600,000 people per year.

“We are confidence to achieve the number of visits remembering that the provincial government of Bali is targeting foreign tourist arrivals reach four million people per year,” said Head of Tourism Denpasar Wayan Gunawan, in Denpasar, on Saturday.

He said that in the first quarter (January-March) of 2015 recorded approximately 180,000 foreign tourists have visited three tourist destinations in Denpasar, such as Sanur Beach, museums, and traditional markets.

For that, he is very optimistic that tourist arrival to Denpasar is able to exceed the target of 15 per cent of tourist arrivals from the four million people that has been targeted by the Provincial Government of Bali.

“The total tourists’ arrival to the city of Denpasar in the previous year has reached 504 thousand people,” he said.

Of the 180,000 foreign tourists who visited Sanur Beach, he continued, mostly are from Australia, Europe, China, U.S and Japan.

“Meanwhile, the visit of tourists to Bali Museum was also dominated by tourist from those countries,” he said.

According to him, tourists visit from Australia is still dominating because they feel Bali as second home.

He added that for Asian tourists, such as China and Japan also getting more to come to Bali since Garuda Indonesia opened direct flights to Bali.

“The efforts of Garuda Indonesia gives very big impact on Chinese tourist arrivals to Bali,” he said.

In addition, tourists from Japan love to visit Bali as the country’s economy is already recovering from the tsunami a few years ago.

He acknowledged the Denpasar government through the Department of Tourism continues to improve its promotion through collaboration with the tourism promotion agency.

“We also involving tourism entrepreneurs and their association to promote the attractions that exist in Denpasar,” he said.

Then, the role of media in promoting tourism destinations also took part in increasing tourist arrivals.

Denpasar Tourism Department also examined the potential of agro-tourism in Denpasar as one tourist destination.

“The concept of agro-tourism is still in process and we expect this plan to be realized,” Wayan Gunawan said Head.

In the agro-tourism development efforts, the tourism department is preparing footpath access to the attraction so that it can become a new tourist destination.

Wayan Gunawan expected the agro-tourism concept can increase tourist visits to Denpasar, so equal development can be achieved in the area.

“The development of this agro tourism can touch the low income community,” he said.