Long a favoured destination for America’s top celebrities and former presidents, the resort island of Bali has grown in popularity among average Americans with the province’s Central Statistic Agency (BPS) recording a massive increase in visitors so far this year.
Bali tourism mainly caters to Australians and visitors from across Southeast Asia and China, with US tourists typically sticking closer to home with plenty of South American and Caribbean destinations.
But, more and more are willing to go the extra distance to visit Bali, with foreign arrivals from the United States moving from number nine in the rankings to number six, BPS Bali Head Adi Nugroho said this week.
This puts the US group ahead of South Korea, Taiwan, Germany and even nearby Malaysia, he added.
Up to 98,669 Americans have visited so far in 2017, representing an 18.02 percent increase year on year.