Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio and Bali Governor I Wayan Koster were joined by scores of dignitaries as they struck a kulkul (bamboo slit drum) to mark the reopening. Toward the end of the ceremony, they raised their hands in a joint toast featuring the island's locally produced palm liquor spirit arak.

"This is a historic day and the decision to reopen the island was not made hastily. It was made after taking into consideration the number of people who have been discharged and recovered, the mortality rate as well as the fact that the island, with regard to the pandemic, now comprises green and yellow zones, no red zones," Luhut said in his speech.

He stressed that the implementation of health protocols was a nonnegotiable requirement for the reopening of the island for tourism and warned that the government might close down the sector again should one of the island's regions be declared a red zone.

The reopening means that Bali reopened its doors to domestic tourists on July 31. In 2018, the number of domestic tourists exceeded 9.7 million, or 61.6 percent of the total number of visitors.

It is the second phase of the multistage reopening policy introduced by the Bali governor.

The first phase started on July 9 with the reopening of the island's tourist attractions and facilities solely for the island's own residents. The third and most crucial phase, in which the island will be reopened to international tourists, is to kick off on Sept. 11.

Popular

Much ado about asset forfeiture

Mass poisonings cast doubt on free meals reforms

New data rules could unlock cross-border data flows