Tourist arrival up in July

The number of foreign tourist arrival in Indonesia in July increased by 16.31 percent to 423,500people, compared with the same period last year, the National Statistic Bureau said here Monday.

The number of the tourist coming to Bali Island, the center of Indonesian tourist industry, increased to 171,700 people in July, up 33.49 percent compared with the same month last year, said the head of the bureau, Rusman Heriawan.

The travel ban from the European Union not to allow Indonesian airlines to enter its territory at the beginning of the month did not affect the industry.

"From our record in July, the number of foreign tourist arrivals from European countries did not decrease, but it increased compared with previous month," said Heriawan at a press conference.

The European Union issued the ban as it considered that Indonesian airlines lack safety standard, following the string of air accidence since the beginning of this year.

The ban has been lifted.

The spread of the avian influenza virus to Bali Island, that killed two people, did not affect the industry, either, Indonesian Tourism Minister Jero Wacik has said.