DENPASAR, Bali, June 8 (Bernama) -- The number of Chinese tourists visiting Bali reached 124,293 in the first four months of 2012, an increase of 74.60 percent compared to last year's 71,186 in the same period, Antara news agency reported.

"The significant increase brought China in the second place after Australia of the ten countries sending tourists to the Island Paradise," Head of the Bali Central Board of Statistics (BPS) Gede Suarsa said here on Thursday.

He said most of the Chinese tourists arrived at Ngurah Rai airport in Bali and only 54 came by cruise ships.

Last year 236,867 Chinese tourists enjoyed the arts and culture as well as natural beauty of Bali, a 20.28 percent increase compared to 196,926 a year earlier.

Gede Suarsa said the number of Chinese people coming to Bali increased significantly thanks to improved economy in their country as well as the China-Bali straight flights.

China contributed 13.28 percent of the total number of 935,724 foreign tourists to Bali in the last four months this year, a 10.23 percent increase compared to 848.899 in the same period a year earlier.

The seven countries with an increased number of foreign tourists to Bali included China and Australia by 8.23 percent, Malaysia 0.99 percent, South Korea 11.95 percent, the United Kingdom 13.46 percent, Singapore 6.87 percent, the United States 6.87 percent and France 6.37 percent.

-- BERNAMA