| A major holiday destination in South East Asia, Bali has | | | | to grow in 2010. Predictably, the largest chunk of |
| always been a huge attraction for tourists from all | | | | tourists come from nearby Australia, where Bali has |
| over the world. At the crossroads of the modern and | | | | always been a highly sought after holiday spot and |
| the ancient, Bali is a land steeped in tradition and culture | | | | surfing mecca. Following Australia, Japan and China |
| while at the same time boasting many of the world's | | | | also send a significant amount of tourists to Bali, as |
| finest five-star luxury hotels and resorts. In addition to | | | | does a number of European countries including the |
| the balmy tropical climate and some of the best | | | | United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and France. The |
| white-sand and black-sand beaches on the planet, Bali | | | | remaining tourists come from smaller Asian nations |
| is also home to a vibrant contemporary arts scene | | | | such as, Singapore, North Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. |
| and also features excellent local cuisine. | | | | The United States has also sends a large contingent, |
| Bali has drawn visitors from around the world for | | | | nearly comparable to the amount of tourists from from |
| centuries; this is most apparent in certain cities such as | | | | Germany and the UK. Bali is also growing in popularity |
| the old Dutch colonial capital of Singaraja. The modern | | | | as a vacation destination with the emerging middle |
| tourist industry has its roots in the 1960's and 70's, with | | | | classes in India and the Middle East. |
| the era of mass tourism starting in the 1980's. Today, | | | | The tourist industry in Bali itself is evolving to |
| Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport is Indonesia's | | | | accommodate the ever growing numbers of visitors. |
| second largest airport and features direct flights from | | | | While most visitors today stay in Bali's south, more and |
| 26 cities and territories in four continents. | | | | more people are looking towards less congested and |
| The breakdown of tourists in Bali by their nationalities | | | | more peaceful areas in North Bali such as Lovina |
| provides a fascinating insight into the large numbers of | | | | Beach. In addition to being more secluded than |
| visitors to this island paradise each year. 2009 itself | | | | southern Bali, places like Lovina in north Bali is also |
| saw more than 2.3 million tourists, a number estimated | | | | significantly cheaper and less commercialised. |