Bali has been able to attract millions of tourists each year, with its unmatched natural beauty and relaxed island lifestyle. The Bali Tourism Agency recently set a projection for 2014 tourism based on national security, sanitation, traffic and services at 3.5 million, 10 percent more than was predicted for 2013.

Head of Bali Tourism Agency, Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu, announced 2.97 million foreign visitors had come to the resort destination from January-November, almost a 13.5 percent increase during the same time period in 2012. Numbers for December still need to be calculated to get the total for 2013, but it is known that there were about 10,000 daily tourists in the month, leaving potential for up to 300,000 more to be tacked on.

“We are therefore optimistic about our 2014 target of 3.5 million foreign tourists,” Subhiksu said. “But of course, the 2014 target is still provisional. We will correct the number after the 2013 record has been completed, even though we think it won’t change much.” He continued, “We hope national security will keep improving, especially during the elections. We will also improve standards in the other areas.”

With improvements in the economies of Bali’s major markets—Europe, Asia-Pacific and the U.S.—the past five years has seen a constant increase in the number of vacationers each year. Subhiksu did reveal, however, that the amount of Australian visitors has decreased as they have taken to stretching their stronger Australian dollar in European destinations offering less expensive touring options. “But all stakeholders are optimistic that Bali is still a favorite holiday destination. Visits will increase,” he said.