Bali set to reopen on 4 February, Indonesian minister says

It has been 18 months since Bali was last opened to international tourists

Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s Tourism Minister, has announced that Bali will once again be open to international tourists starting 4 February 2022, according to The Bali Sun.

This news comes three months after Bali and the Riau Islands started allowing tourists from a handful of countries, including France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

Sandiaga also confirmed that the direct-flight policy will no longer be necessary once the borders reopen. This means direct and connecting flights will now be welcome to enter the island.

It has been 18 months since Bali was last opened to international tourists. Sandiaga added that since October 2021, there have been no direct flights going to the island.

According to The Jakarta Post, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, indicated that this decision was made to restore Bali tourism. However, he added that travelers will still be required to undergo quarantine as per current travel regulations.

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“Vaccinated visitors will still need to undergo five to seven days of quarantine. They have the option of staying in five different hotels and six live-on-board ships with Clean Health Safety Environment (CHSE) certifications from the Tourism Ministry,” said Luhut.

Southeast Asian economies were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because most of the region’s economies are especially reliant on international tourism, it took the brunt of the damage when it came to an abrupt stop.

The Diplomat mentions that one such region was the island of Bali, where tourism accounts for 54 per cent of the local economy. Bali closed its borders to international travelers in April 2020, a month after the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and preparations for reopening have been postponed multiple times owing to new outbreaks.

So far, the Indonesian government has yet to decide on which types of visas will be available to arriving tourists, among other things, since it has been difficult to enter Bali because of the Visa on Arrival programme.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].