05.02.2023
Chinese tourists can go to Bali for vacation again! Although it is the rainy season and there are few flights, Indonesian tourism officials and industry insiders are full of confidence in the return of Chinese tourists to Indonesia. Before the epidemic, as many as 1.2 million Chinese tourists would come to Bali to enjoy the sea and blue sky in a year.
(Voice of Deutsche Welle Chinese Website) Travel to Turtle Island, take a day trip to the nearby Lombok Island, or just enjoy the blue sky on the beautiful beach of Bali. Traveling to Indonesia is very attractive to Chinese tourists. After China bid farewell to the zero-clearing policy against the new crown epidemic, it caught up with the Spring Festival holiday. No, Indonesia’s tourist attractions have welcomed Chinese tourists with huge consumption potential.
“Before the epidemic, I loved traveling very much. I went to places of interest and experienced different cultures and ethnic groups. After three years, I can do it again. I am so happy,” 28-year-old Li Zhaolong told AFP. He is from Kunming and works for an Internet company.
Both China and Indonesia have implemented strict epidemic prevention measures in the past three years, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia for vacation has plummeted. Since the beginning of this year, the Indonesian tourism minister is optimistic about the future rebound trend, predicting that more than 250,000 Chinese tourists will visit Indonesia this year. Local tourism officials in Bali are even more optimistic, hoping to reach two-thirds of the level before the epidemic this year. In 2019, 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Bali for sightseeing and vacation, and only the number of tourists from Australia was greater than that of China.
Economic aspect |
05.12.2021
Chinese tourists make up one-fifth of total Indonesian tourists
But currently only the Shenzhen-Bali route is operating, with one flight a week, so only a few hundred Chinese tourists come to Bali. According to the Indonesian government, four more airlines have applied for routes from Bali to China. According to official estimates, with the opening up and various preparations in place, the number of tourists in China is expected to reach the pre-epidemic level by 2025.
In Indonesia, where tourism is a pillar industry, tourists from China once accounted for one-fifth of the total number of tourists. The Indonesian tourism minister said that the government is planning to strengthen tourism marketing strategy to make Bali the image of paradise on earth.
The reporter met Li Dong (sound) from China in a shopping mall in Denpasar, the capital of Bali. He said, “From the moment I boarded the plane, I felt the hospitality of the people in Bali. I really love it. I like it here.” said the 47-year-old man in the financial field, “I will come here often in the future.” He told reporters that the epidemic is a “difficult period”, and after waiting for three years, it is a happy thing that he can finally go abroad.
Hope Chinese tourists return to Bali
China’s sudden end to the strict dynamic zeroing policy has caused a wave of infections to sweep across the country. It is believed that the infection rate has reached 80% of the population. Many countries, including the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Japan, have imposed restrictions on immigrants from China, but This is not done in Indonesia, where the only requirement for foreign tourists is to show proof of vaccination.
It is currently the rainy season, there are not many tourists in Bali, and it is far from “normal”, but the rebound has begun.
A shop owner said, “I hope that Chinese tourists will return to Bali to make our business boom again.” He told reporters that before the epidemic, 80% of his customers were Chinese tourists. No more. We can only fire people.”
People in the travel industry are optimistic about a return to normalcy, and the industry is gradually regaining its footing as Chinese tourists return to Indonesia. A local tourism manager working at the Bali airport said, “Honestly, it was not a good day. I lost 10 kilograms. It was too difficult. But I am now very sure that we are rebounding and walking on the road back to normal.”
(AFP, etc.)
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