DENPASAR, Bali, 15 February 2021: A corridor to allow international travel to Bali is still on the cards according to Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno.
Quoted in an Antara report at the weekend he confirmed the ministry was still studying the possibility of implementing a Covid-19 free corridor from low-risk countries that have successfully introduced vaccination.
Hundreds of hotels have shut down on the island as tourism associations warned tourism was heading for bankruptcy with an estimated 250,000 workers in hotels and tourism linked sectors out of work or on unpaid leave.
Success introducing an airline corridor to the island depends on travellers being vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test result on arrival at Bali’s airport.
The minister said swab testing would be compulsory for all travellers flying to the island or they would face a lengthy quarantine of around 10 to 14 days before the holiday could begin.
Antara news agency said discussions were held with Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster last Thursday.
“The concept of a COVID-19 free corridor has been discussed with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and the COVID-19 Task Force. In principle, it has been deliberated at the final stage,” the tourism ministry confirmed.
Bali is likely to be the first tourist destination to see its 1.2 million tourism workers vaccinated
Soft loans of IDR9.9 trillion for the Balinese tourism industry are on the table, while Bali’s provincial government and the Chamber of Commerce proposed a stimulus package of IDR1.5 billion to boost local tourism entrepreneurs’ cash flows, he said.
Indonesia Covid-19 cases reached 1,202,859 cases and 32,656 deaths as of 13 February the highest of all the Southeast Asian nations. The Philippines followed in second place with 545,300 cases and 11,495 deaths.
(Source: Antara News)
