Bali has reopened to foreign tourists after 18 months of pandemic restrictions, but airlines and travelers were caught off guard by the sudden announcement. It will take weeks, if not months, for the pipeline of tourists to fill up again.
The government has announced the reopening of Bali after a sharp drop in coronavirus cases. He plans to keep it that way with lots of precautions going on. The island is poised for returning tourists, but don’t expect big crowds any time soon.
“The regulation has just been issued. These things take time. These countries and visitors need time,” said Bali governor I Wayan Koster. “Hopefully the flights will return soon.”
Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for more than half of Bali’s economy, but the island has been closed to foreign tourists since April 2020, leaving many workers desperate for income. Foreign tourist arrivals dropped from 6.2 million in 2019 to just 1 million in 2020. The average hotel occupancy rate in Bali was less than 20 percent. More than 92,000 people employed in tourism have lost their jobs.
After closing the island to all visitors, Bali reopened to Indonesians from other parts of the country in the middle of last year. This helped the island’s gross domestic product grow by a modest 2.83% in the second quarter of this year, ending five consecutive quarters of decline. From January to June this year, only 35 foreign tourists entered the Bali airport. The hotels have started receiving bookings from overseas visitors for November visits.
Tourists from 19 countries can now visit Bali and the Riau Islands: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain , Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Norway.
Visitors must arrive on flights directly from their home countries. So far, most of the countries on the list do not offer such flights.
Tourists must be vaccinated. They must also spend the first five days in quarantine. Visitors must also have proof of medical insurance. They must also follow the rules in hotels, restaurants and beaches. More than 80% of the Balinese population has been fully vaccinated.
As of 15 September 2021, foreigners or non-Indonesian citizens can enter Indonesia as long as they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Anyone arriving in Indonesia must undergo a mandatory 5-day quarantine (starting October 16, 2021) at Indonesian government-designated facilities. Also, Indonesia will no longer issue free tourist visas. Instead, tourists must pay in advance for a visa which can cost $65 or more. As of October 27, there have been at least 4,241,809 cases of COVID-19 across Indonesia. The nation has lost 143,299 citizens to the pandemic so far.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo is pushing to reopen travel to Southeast Asia. He supports a regional travel corridor that simplifies travel within the region. So far, each country is working independently to fill its travel pipeline with tourists. Singapore has reopened to North America and Europe, while Thailand has lifted quarantine rules for 46 countries. Unfortunately, Singapore is again proving to be a regional hot spot for the virus. The pandemic is far from over.
Indonesia it is the fourth largest nation in the world with over 267 million people. THE Village comprises more than 17,500 islands, including Bali, Borneo, Java, Lombok, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Learn more about Indonesia.
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