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Bali to open for all international travellers: Luhut
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan also told a news conference that the period of time for coronavirus quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers into Indonesia had been shortened from seven to five days.
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Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan spoke at Army Staff and Command College (Seskoad) in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday, November 18 2021. (Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment/Public relations team)
T
he holiday island of Bali will gradually open for all international travellers starting from Feb. 4, a senior minister said on Monday.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan also told a news conference that the period of time for coronavirus quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers into Indonesia had been shortened from seven to five days.
In October, the government announced that Bali, which has seen its tourist sector hit hard by the pandemic, would reopen for certain international arrivals.
The government allowed international travelers from several countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand to visit the island.
At that time, foreign nationals wishing to enter Bali will be required to show proof of hotel room reservation for the mandatory eight-day quarantine at their own expense.
The tourist island closed its doors to international visitors in April 2020 and plans for reopening for foreign arrivals had been postponed several times due to case resurgences.
The latest decision comes despite a steady rise in Indonesia's COVID-19 cases this month, despite having brought outbreaks under control in the second half of last year. Health authorities have attributed the increase to Omicron.
Known for its surfing, temples, waterfalls and nightlife, Bali drew 6.2 million foreign visitors in 2019, the year before COVID-19 struck, but tight pandemic border restrictions devastated tourism, which is usually worth 54 percent of its economy.
Singapore Airlines said on Friday it would resume flights to Bali from Singapore starting on Feb. 16.
Last week, Indonesia opened two islands close to Singapore to visitors from the city-state.
According to Ida Ayu Indah Yustikarini, an official at the Bali Government Tourism Office, the island has been receiving foreign visitors in the past few months via the capital Jakarta, but there were no official numbers available.
