Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno has announced that Bali reopening in mid-2021 to foreign tourists visiting.
President Joko Widodo said that Bali reopening in June or July, as long as the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
Sandiaga and other officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and Bali Governor Wayan Koster, followed that up with a meeting that aims to set up a strict reopening to foreign tourists in a few months.
Before, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin set Bali’s reopening to April 2022.
To revive Bali’s tourism-dependent economy, officials have been spouting different terms, from “green zones,” to “COVID-19 safe travel” and “Free COVID Corridor.”
The proposed “travel corridor arrangement,” will be offered to countries that are able to contain the spread of the coronavirus, have high vaccination rates, and could offer reciprocal benefits.
Countries that are currently being considered include the Netherlands, China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Singapore.
Several things must be achieved before the program starts, Sandiaga said, such as low COVID-19 numbers, increased compliance to health protocols, stronger testing, tracing and treatment, and the vaccination of at least 2 million people in Bali by July.
Sandiaga also said that the steps taken to finalize their preparations for the program will be evaluated every two weeks and followed up with trial runs in the designated green zones: Ubud, Nusa Dua, and Sanur.
