Indonesian foreign tourist arrivals up in 10 months, volcano eruption reduces October number

JAKARTA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreign holiday makers coming into Indonesia from January to October this year picked up on yearly basis, but the volcano eruption in the country's Bali resort island has impacted on the arrivals in October.

The national statistics bureau announced on Monday that total foreign tourist arrivals by October this year grew 23.55 percent to 11.62 million from a year ago.

In October alone, the number of foreign visitors coming into the country was up 11.33 percent to 1.16 million people on yearly basis, head of the bureau Kecuk Suhariyanto said.

However, on monthly basis, the arrivals were down 4.54 percent in October due to Mount Agung volcano eruption in Bali resort island, he added.

"The impact of the volcano eruption in Bali decreased the number of foreign visitors coming into the island," he told a press conference.

The number of holiday makers coming into Bali island contracted 15.99 percent to 462,263 people in October on monthly basis, compared with 550,238 people in September, the official said.

Mount Agung volcano in Karangasem district, some 70 km from tourist hub of Kuta has been on the top alert level since September and forced nearly 144,000 people to evacuate and had led to the closure of the airport in the island for several times over volcanic ash. Enditem