Bali, Indonesia, is reopening to tourists, but Australian and Singaporean visitors may have to wait

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

Bali, Indonesia's holiday island, reopened to tourists from a few countries on Thursday, in what Indonesian officials described as "baby steps" toward restoring international tourism.

Indonesia's borders were closed to international visitors 18 months ago.

Vaccinated visitors from 19 countries can now visit Bali and Indonesia's Riau Islands, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand, as well as sections of Western Europe and the Arabian Gulf.
Travelers will be quarantined for five days and tested for Covid-19.

 

The measures are considered as a watershed moment for the country's tourism-dependent islands, which have been hammered by continuous travel restrictions.
Several key foreign tourism feeder markets, including Bali's No. 1 market, Australia, and adjacent Singapore, were left off the list.

Talks with Singapore and Australia ongoing

Speaking to CNBC Thursday, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism

Indonesia's Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, told CNBC on Thursday that the new policy was based on scientific facts and advice from a panel of epidemiologists.
He went on to say that the list would be broadened if evidence from more markets was available to back it up.

 

"We want to make sure it's not a stop-and-go situation, but rather a gradual, incremental approach," Uno said on CNBC's "Street Signs."

′′We are definitely continuing to engage with Singapore and Australia," he added, adding that the discussions are centred on assuring that the reopening "would be done first on a safe and secure basis."

Competing with quarantine-free destinations

Indonesia's partial reopening comes as neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and sections of Vietnam open their borders to vaccinated tourists from specific countries who are not subject to quarantine.

After being burnt by a haphazard quarantine policy that resulted in a spike in Covid-19 infections in July, Indonesia is taking a more cautious approach.
They, too, have a valid reason.

In 2022, the country is preparing to host the G-20 summit on Bali.

 

"It will be totally scientific," Uno added, "to ensure that this process runs smoothly in the next 18 months as we host G20 activities here."