Bali warned of Russian influx
A senior Bali tourism figure has warned that the move by Garuda Indonesia to launch direct flights to Moscow by the fourth quarter of this year could lead to more Russians opening tourism-related businesses of "questionable legality" on the island.
Currently, there have been many Russian people acting as tourist guides, operating travel agencies and accommodation facilities, but allegedly without proper licences," Bagus Sudibya told the Bali Daily.
"Local authorities should be alert to this and conduct better control and monitoring to avoid any bad impact on the island’s tourism, including on legal tour guides, travel agents and accommodation facilities."
Direct flights connecting Bali and Moscow are predicted to significantly increase the flow of tourists from Russia to the island.
Bali is already a popular destination for Russian tourists.
According to data from the Bali Tourism Agency, 79,338 Russians visited the island during 2013, a rise of almost 2% from 77,869 in 2012.
Garuda Indonesia this week became an official member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance.
Ian Jarrett
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