Previously, Indonesia allowed tourists from 19 countries to enter the country, and Bali - Indonesia's top tourist attraction - also officially reopened on October 14, this is part of important steps to restore Indonesia's tourism.
Contrary to Indonesia's expectations, Taufan Yudhistira, spokesman for Ngurah Rai airport in Bali, said: "We are ready and waiting for international flights. But no flights are expected to arrive today."
Since late October 13, Ngurah Rai International Airport has not received information about any international flights.
According to AFP news agency, Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has opened its doors to visitors from 19 countries, typically names such as:Korea, China, Japan, France, New Zealand.However, Australia is not on this list, even though Australian tourists used to be the majority in Bali before the pandemic.
Mr. I Gusti Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya - Vice President of Bali Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) said: "I think the problem lies in the medical quarantine policy. The current requirement is 5 days at the hotel and we are proposing to reduce it to 3 days. Meanwhile, countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives are all open to international visitors without requiring quarantine."
In addition, the Bali Tourism Authority said that the opening of tourism in Bali was too sudden, leaving tourists without time to prepare visas and find flights. Bali officials also said that there will not be many flights bringing tourists to this island in the first days.
Foreign visitors to Bali must be fully vaccinated with two doses and pay for a five-day hotel quarantine.
The Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected Indonesia in general and its tourism industry in particular. Strict epidemic prevention measures and vaccination campaigns have resulted in a decrease in Covid-19 cases here, although in fact, data shows that vaccination rates in Indonesia are still low.
According to Our World in Data, only 37.1% of the population has received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 21.4% have received two doses. In Bali alone, 98% of the population, or 4.4 million people, have been vaccinated, and more than 80% have received two doses.
