The Indonesian resort island of Bali has officially resumed direct international flights carrying foreign tourists for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, but mandatory quarantine is still required.

According to Xinhua, overseas travelers must present proof of Covid-19 vaccination at least 14 days before departure and provide a negative RT-PCR test result in their country of origin up to 48 hours before departure.

The quarantine period is 5 days for fully vaccinated travelers and 7 days for travelers who have only received the first dose.

It should be done in a hotel or on a “liveaboard” certified by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Bali has been open to tourists from China, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates since mid-October 2021, but there have been no direct flights since then.

The number of foreign tourists in Indonesia dropped sharply to 1.6 million last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic hit, Bali alone was hosting an average of 6.2 million foreign tourists a year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Known for its beaches, surfing, temples and nightlife, this holiday island typically accounts for 54% of Indonesia’s tourism economy.

The Southeast Asian country wants to reopen flights to the world-famous holiday island to help the country recover tourism after being hit hard by the pandemic.

“I hope the reopening will help revitalize the people’s economy on the island,” Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs, said on Friday.

However, Bali’s reopening comes at a time when Covid-19 cases in the country are steadily increasing.

Indonesia confirmed 32,211 new Covid-19 infections as of Friday, raising the total number of infections to 4,446,694, while the total number of confirmed Omicron cases in the archipelago nation has risen to 3,161, according to the country’s health ministry.

“All the steps we take have been calculated and carefully considered. But remember that all travelers must strictly adhere to the health protocols set out by the Indonesian Covid-19 Task Force. If we do not follow the discipline, all of this will be for nothing meaning,” Pandjaitan said.

Complete News Source : Business Standard