September 20, 2009 Update: More details have emerged about plans to make Bali a sandbox that can be used by vaccinated tourists. Keep reading to find out the latest.
Joko Widodo, Indonesia's President, announced previously that Bali would reopen for tourism in July. As with August and September, so too did September. However, a limited travel reopening may be possible in October.
Bali, or the Land of Gods, is a top-rated destination for anyone's bucket list. It is remote and exotic, rich in culture, nature, food, and attracts people from far away. It has been closed to international visitors since quite some time due to low covid-19 vaccination rates and alarming cases rates.
These numbers have dropped from 40,000 to 3,000 per day, and 10% of the population is now vaccinated every 30-40days.
As vaccinations reach critical levels, green shoots are beginning to appear. This means that Indonesia and its islands like Bali and Bintan are hoping to reopen. The initial plans for reopening are more cautious than originally discussed and could leave out much of West.
Bali's latest travel plans
Indonesia is actively seeking to reopen its borders to foreign visitors. It is focusing all of its efforts on October, primarily for key tourist destinations like Bali. This could act as a travel box, without bringing any risk to major cities such as Jakarta.
Prior announcements regarding tourism indicated that all visitors who have been vaccinated would be allowed to return to Bali. However, Luhut Panjaitan, the Indonesian Investment Minister, has stated that regional partners will likely come before Americans, Europeans, Brits and other major tourist groups.
According to the ministers' statements, Indonesia will initially consider opening Bali for visitors from Japan, New Zealand and South Korea in October 2021. This could be a temporary reopening, before a larger reopening in December-January, which is crucial for Balinese tourism.
Recent gains in vaccination success are inspiring new enthusiasm for opening borders. This includes, for the first time since the pandemic, support from Joko Widodo, the Indonesian President. Widodo views the opening of tourism as an important economic driver for Indonesia's recovery.
In order to encourage other countries to visit Indonesia, Indonesian officials have invited transport and tourism ministers from key partners over the past few months.
The government's key focus areas for tourists who want to travel to Indonesia in October are Bali, Batam, and Bintan.
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister, says that the islands are almost ready to receive visitors. The final details regarding protocols and visitor requirements will be available soon. Visitors to Bali are not required to be in quarantine, although they will need to be fully vaccinated.
Below is a list of countries that will allow anyone who has proof of vaccination to enter these countries.
Digital nomads and expats who stayed in Bali during covid-19 were mocked by the rest of the world for not adhering to local covid-19 restrictions. The fines are severe for the local population. However, at $7 USD in western currency many tourists chose to pay rather than comply with other measures and wear masks.
Current plans to welcome back international tourists would see fines jump to $70 and deportation on the table for any subsequent offenses.
Bali: Reading Between the Lines
It was first September 11, 2020, for a reopening day. Then it was before the new year. Now, we are in the third quarter of the great new year and have a clear idea when Bali will reopen. Perhaps.
Officials now believe that Bali could open in October. However, Tourism Ministers had previously stated July and 2020. The end of the season, it seems that Bali will open in late autumn 2021, which is a lot earlier than peak season.
If you read between the lines, Bali will likely open tourism areas for select travelers who have been vaccinated by October 31, and a larger sampling by December, possibly including European and US visitors.
If you have been immunized, planning trips for the last quarter of 2021 and into 2022 seems like a good idea. However, there are risks. These are the essential tips to help you avoid missing a thing when you go to Bali.
