REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Thousands of Russian tourists are flocking to Bali from time to time. Rusia is one of five top countries visiting Bali in the last five years.

"Although Russia is a new comer in Indonesian tourism, but the country is one of five top countries visiting Bali," Deputy Director of Central and Eastern Europe Directorate in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berlian Napitupulu said on Friday.

About 99,448 Russian tourists visited the Island of Gods in 2012. The growing number of Russian tourists was also indicated by the use of Russian language in some tourist banners or food menus in Bali.

Russian visitors who come to Bali are mostly using a chartered plane. They stay in Bali up to 12 days. Russian tourists particularly stay in luxury hotels and, it said,  a generous Russian visitor ever gave 100 USD to the waiter as a tip.

The increased tourist number is also showed by the presence of several business and professional massage spa that offers Balinese masseurs services. It shows that Russians happy with Indonesian hospitality.

Napitupulu said that Russian tourists in Indonesia were still small compared to Russians who traveled to another country. There are two million and 2.5 million Russian tourists in Egypt and Turkey. He hopes that it can be a trigger for development of Indonesia-Russia relations in tourism sector.

Napitupulu added that Russian tourists did not consider to political and security conditions of a country if they wanted to travel. Indonesia must be able to take advantages of the potential.

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