Thread: Indonesia’s Bali reopens to international tourists, but with no flights

Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali reopened to foreign tourists after 18 months of pandemic hiatus on Thursday, but the island is lacking one crucial ingredient: international flights.

Tourism-reliant Bali is scheduled to reopen on Thursday and though its Ngurah Rai international airport has carried out simulations preparing for tourists to return, it is not expecting much to happen soon.
.So far there is no schedule,” said Taufan Yudhistira, a spokesman for the airport.

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Indonesia’s tight immigration measures during the pandemic have devastated the island, with widespread closures of hotels, shops and businesses.







.https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2021/10/14/indonesias-bali-reopens-to-international-tourists-but-with-no-flights/2013294

A list of 19 countries who are allowed to come to Bali has finally been issued.

The Bali Hotels association has about 40 hotels who have agreed to be available for quarantine, but the hotels association is waiting for quarantine regulations to be confirmed.

It seem likely that the Bali system will follow that of Jakarta, where the system has been in operation for quite some time, once the quarantine rules are agreed. (8 days or 5 days)

The airport was opened on the international side for staff to prepare for the new arrivals, and the airport authority has offered 100% discounts for airlines wishing to book landing slots.
I was at the domestic arrivals terminal last week and it was as busy as I have ever seen it.

The other stumbling block has been over visas. It used to be 30 days VOA free, but tourists may find that the B211 temporary business visa or the social visa are being adapted to work around tourist access, allowing 60 days in country, including the quarantine period.

Its a slow start, attempting to avoid errors made elsewhere, by planning details now, before tourists start arriving.