Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) – Foreign tourist arrivals to Bali rose nearly 10 percent in 2025 to about 6.95 million visits, driven by stronger air and sea traffic, underscoring the island’s continued recovery as one of Southeast Asia’s top travel destinations.Statistics Indonesia’s Bali office recorded 6,948,754 direct foreign arrivals between January and December 2025, senior statistician I Made Agus Adnyana said in Denpasar on Monday.The figure marked a 9.72 percent increase from the same period in 2024, reflecting steady gains in international travel demand despite global economic uncertainty.BPS Bali highlighted a sharp rise in arrivals via sea routes as a notable trend during 2025, supported by cruise ship traffic and expanded transport connectivity.Foreign arrivals through seaports reached 41,169 visits in 2025, up 65.88 percent from 24,819 visits a year earlier, according to official data.Agus said growth was supported by cruise ship calls from early 2025 and newly opened flight routes, with two large cruise vessels docking in December alone.By region of origin, arrivals from ASEAN edged down 0.09 percent, while visits from Asia, Europe, Oceania, the United States, the Middle East and Africa all increased during the year.Australia remained Bali’s largest source market, with 1.63 million arrivals in 2025, followed by India at about 569,260 and China at roughly 537,380.South Korea ranked fourth with 346,680 arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom at 317,520, France at 279,120 and the United States at 274,610.Malaysia recorded about 251,160 visits, Singapore 211,330 and Japan 208,620, completing the top 10 source countries.Australian tourists accounted for 23.44 percent of total foreign arrivals to Bali in 2025, reinforcing the country’s role as the island’s core tourism market.Monthly arrivals also strengthened toward year-end, with Bali receiving 572,668 foreign tourists in December 2025 alone.That December figure rose 18.48 percent from November, with BPS again noting strong growth in sea arrivals during the peak holiday season.In December, 13,878 foreign tourists arrived by sea, representing a 102.39 percent increase compared with the same month a year earlier.Domestic tourism remained robust, with 2,198,625 domestic trips recorded in December 2025.Total domestic tourist trips to Bali during 2025 reached 26,615,306, highlighting the continued importance of local travelers in supporting the island’s tourism-driven economy.