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Hopeful Bali stirs from pandemic slumber
For the Balinese businesses that have borne the costs of the island’s desertion, Thursday's reopening represents the possibility of reemerging from financial torpor, and recent rosy virus figures have buoyed the government's hopes.
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A woman takes part in a simulation of COVID-19 health protocols at the international airport in Tuban on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Oct. 9, ahead of the island reopening to tourists on Oct. 14. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)
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s authorities work to iron out the kinks in health and travel policies for Bali’s muted reopening and develop a model applicable to other destinations, the island’s inhabitants, both locals and relative newcomers, have begun to contemplate what the return of international visitors might bring.
For 23-year-old Ina, the news conjured a nostalgia for both the fortunes and frustrations of mass tourism.
“A few things I miss are those foreigners drunk on the street making such a noise, those crowded areas full of people and the vibes at parties, restaurants, cafés, etc. The kinds of daily activities I did before corona hit – those, I miss a lot,” she said.
Ina was working as a guest ambassador at the trendy Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak when Bali officially closed to international tourism in April 2020. The company strove to keep its employees on the payroll, but as revenue dried up, salaries dwindled and the club eventually closed.
After a search, Ina managed to find a position as a business development and event manager, but many of her peers have continued to struggle.
“It was a roller coaster for all of us, especially my friends who were working [at Potato Head] at the time,” Ina told The Jakarta Post. “We had to try other ways of making a living. Some of us began selling food, alcohol or worked part-time at other companies.”
Read also: Bali reopens to eerie hush
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