Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - A total of 34,539 Chinese tourists visited Bali in the first two months of 2009, accounting for 11.35 percent of the total foreign tourist arrivals to the resort island over the period.

"The number of Chinese tourists increased 5,740 or 19.93 percent compared to the same period last year when 28,799 Chinese tourists visited Bali," Head of the Bali Provincial Office of the Central Board of Statistics (BPS) Ida Komang Wisnu said on Sunday.

He said China ranked third in terms of foreign tourists visiting Bali after Japan and Australia.

In total, 131,319 Chinese tourists visited Bali last year, up 55.82 percent from a year earlier.

More than 1,992,290 foreign tourists visited Bali last year, an increase of 19.40 percent from the year before. (*)