REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PADANG -- The Central Bureau of Statistics of West Sumatra recorded the number of foreign tourists visiting the province in July 2016 soared up to 4.094 or up by 94,58 percent compared with that in June at 2.104 people.

"The increase in the number is due to an international bike race of Tour de Singkarak," the head of the West Sumatra's bureau, Dody Herlando, said here on Thursday (9/1).

He noted the foreign tourist visits in July 2016 contributed 0,42 percent to the total number of visitors to Indonesia at 970.484 people.

The foreign tourists in July 2016 were dominated by Malaysians at 2.203 then Australians at 234 and the Dutch at 82 people.

The other foreign tourists came from France (64), the US (34), the UK (35), China (21), and other countries at 841 people.

Those foreign tourists came to West Sumatra via Minangkabau international airport.

Earlier, at the opening of Tour de Singkarak (TdS) 2016, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the event has provided economic impact to the locals as the sport was combined with tourism.

The sport event held on August 6-14 passed eight stages in 17 districts and cities in West Sumatra.

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