Foreign tourists stayed in Bali for an average 8.75 days each last year, down from 13.6 days each in the previous year, an official says.
As consequence of the shorter stay, each foreign tourist spent only US$136.9 per day on average, or nearly $12 less than individual average spending in the earlier year.
Spokesman for the Bali administration I Ketut Teneng told Antara Friday the decline in the foreign holiday makers’ spending and length of stay had resulted in a lower quality of tourism industry on the island, although the number of tourists went up.
The provincial government data revealed that 2.38 million foreigners visited Bali in 2009, up from 2.08 million in the previous year.
Teneng said the underperforming tourism industry contributed to the province’s failure to meet its economic growth target of 5.74 percent in 2009. The province’s economy grew by 5.33 percent that year.
To make matter worse, the province’s export of handcraft also slid by nearly 2 percent to $262.9 million in 2009 from $268.05 million in 2008.
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