The world-famous tourist destination of Bali will reopen to all international travellers starting 4 February, an Indonesian minister said on 31 January 2022. By Manas Sen Gupta
Speaking at a news conference, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan also said that the quarantine period required for fully vaccinated travellers into Indonesia has been reduced to five days from the earlier seven.
How the reopening of Bali progressed
The October limited arrivals
The decision to reopen Bali to all foreign travellers comes three months after Indonesia allowed nationals from a handful of countries to enter Bali and the Riau Islands.
The countries included in the previous plan were China, South Korea, India, Japan, New Zealand, the UAE, Italy, France, and Spain among others.
Travellers at the time had to undergo mandatory quarantine at their own expense and present proof of hotel room reservation for the same.
It was the first time in 18 months Bali had been opened to foreign travellers. But tourism minister Sandiaga Uno, reportedly said that there have been no direct flights since the limited reopening in October 2021.
Singapore-Indonesia travel bubble
The island of Bali is one of Indonesia’s biggest tourist destinations, known for its beaches, lush green landscape, and temples. Reports say that Bali drew just over 6 million visitors in 2019.
The pandemic-era restrictions have however broken the back of tourism in Bali. But things are looking up for tourism in Indonesia.
Last week, Singapore announced that people travelling from the city-state to the country will not have to undergo quarantine.
Airlangga Hartarto, the Coordinating Minister For Economic Affairs of Indonesia, had on 24 January said that a travel bubble between Singapore and the resort islands of Batam and Bintan in Indonesia will be created starting 25 January 2022.
Some restrictions do remain, such as that visitors to Nongsa in Batam and Lagoi in Bintan will not be allowed to leave for other parts of Indonesia.
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Main and Featured images: Nick Fewings/@jannerboy62/Unsplash
Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
