Denpasar, Oct. 14 (BNA) The Indonesian island of Bali reopened to foreign tourists from Bahrain and 18 other countries 18 months after the pandemic stopped on Thursday, but the island lacks one crucial component: international flights.
Tourism-dependent Bali is set to reopen on Thursday, and although Ngurah Rai International Airport has run simulations in preparation for the return of tourists, not much is expected soon.
“There is no timetable yet,” airport spokesman Tofan Yudestra said.
Indonesia’s strict immigration measures during the pandemic have devastated the island, with widespread closures of hotels, shops and businesses.
The government is eager to revive Bali’s beleaguered tourism industry in response to the sharp drop in novel coronavirus cases since July, when Indonesia was the epicenter of COVID-19 in Asia.
But details about reopening, such as visa requirements and the countries to which they are applying, have been incomplete so far.
Indonesia confirmed only the 19 eligible countries in a statement late Wednesday, which include China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, and several countries from Western Europe and the Persian Gulf.
The move follows Thailand’s reopening that began in July with great fanfare, with the islands of Samui and Phuket welcoming vaccinated tourists from several countries, with hundreds on opening days.
Vietnam plans to welcome foreigners to Phu Quoc Island next month.
But some representatives of the Indonesian tourism industry say the plan to reopen Bali is not matched by demand.
Butu Astawa of the Bali Tourism Agency said hotel reservations were in short supply.
“Not yet because the timing is very surprising,” he said when asked about a rise in bookings. “They need time to take care of visas and flights.”
In addition to requiring visitors to Bali to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Indonesia has required that they spend their first five days in quarantine, a measure taken by rival tourism markets.
“We are willing to accept tourists who visit Bali, but this certainly does not mean that all guests are suddenly visiting Bali,” said Ida Bagus Purwa Symen, executive director of the island’s hotel and restaurant association.
“As soon as possible, by the end of the year we can assess whether the situation has improved.”
In a video posted on the President’s Secretariat’s YouTube channel marking the reopening on Thursday, Bali Governor Wayan Koster said reviving tourism is essential for the island.
“It is in our interest for tourism to recover because 54% of Bali’s economy depends on the tourism sector,” he said.
MI