The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia dropped by 9.26 percent to 2.93 million in the first nine months of 2006 from 3.23 million in the same period last year, a government agency reported Wednesday.

 

International arrivals in Bali, the country's biggest tourist destination, plunged 21.08 percent to 962,211 against 1.2 million last year, according to the data released by the Central Statistics Agency.

 

Jakarta was the second largest destination for foreigners by accommodating 854,323 arrivals, tailed by the industrial island of Batam with 753,118 arrivals.

 

In September alone, tourist arrivals dropped slightly by 2.87 percent to 333,546 from 343,415 in the preceding month.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2006)