Bali to reopen to foreign tourists

Bali to reopen to foreign tourists

Indonesia will reopen its tourist island Bali for some international travllers, including those from China, New Zealand, and Japan, among others, from Oct. 14, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters on Monday. Visitors will be required to quarantine for eight days, Luhut said.

Indonesia has been among the countries worst hit by COVID-19 in Asia, officially recording more than 4 million cases and 142,000 deaths, although public health experts believe the true toll is far higher. However, daily cases have plummeted from more than 56,000 at the peak of the second wave in mid-July this year to 1,142 cases on Oct. 3, data from the COVID-19 task force showed.

Bali to welcome back tourists soon

Bali’s Ngurah Rai international airport will be open to foreign tourists from that date, with visitors required to quarantine for eight days at their own expense, Luhut told reporters. The country’s reopening and easing of social restrictions is being conducted in stages, he said, because Indonesia “doesn’t want the unexpected to happen”.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had previously flagged reopening the popular resort island, saying foreign tourists could return after more than 70 percent of people on Bali had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The government has also signaled its willingness to reopen the island to international tourists to help revive Bali’s battered economy.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, exited its first recession in over two decades in the second quarter, though a COVID-19 resurgence and ensuing social restrictions likely weighed on the recovery momentum.

Source: Jakarta Post

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Thomas holds a university degree with a focus on Languages, Humanities, Culture, Literature, and Economics, earned in both the UK and Latin America. His journey in Asia began in 2005 when he worked as a publisher in Krabi. Over the past fifteen years, Thomas has edited newspapers and magazines across England, Spain, and Thailand. Currently, he is involved in multiple projects both in Thailand and internationally. In addition to Thailand, Thomas has lived in Italy, England, Venezuela, Cuba, Spain, and Bali, but he spends the majority of his time in Asia. Through his diverse experiences, he has gained a deep understanding of various Asian cultures and communities. Thomas also works as a freelance writer, contributing short travel stories and articles to travel magazines. You can follow his work at www.asianitinerary.com

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