Aussies lead Bali resurgence (lead)
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An increasing number of Australian tourists are ignoring travel warnings and returning to Bali, news.com.au has reported. While the US government recently lifted its travel warning for Indonesia, Australia still advises tourists against essential travel to the country due to potential terrorist threats, despite continued calls from Bali travel agents to relax the warnings. The number of Australians visiting Bali has continued to grow this year, after a huge rise in 2007; Aussie visitor numbers rose 57% in the first quarter of 2008, compared with the same period a year pervious. The statistics are especially strong from Perth, which has seen a 75% increase, and Darwin (71%). Garuda Indonesia have added extra flights to their Darwin, Melbourne and Sydney services to Bali. The figures build on strong growth seen in 2007, with Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing a 63% increase in Australian visitors, with the total reaching 206,427. After Japan, Australia is Bali’s second biggest source of tourists, but the 2002 and 2005 terror bombings, which killed more than 230 people, including 92 Australians, had a huge impact on Bali’s reputation and its tourism industry.
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