Bali welcomed its first foreign tourists on Monday under less stringent coronavirus rules that no longer require a quarantine period upon their arrival. Known for its surfing, temples, waterfalls and nightlife, Bali attracted 6.2 million foreign visitors in 2019, the year before Covid-19. But few visitors have returned since Bali began opening up to foreign tourists last October, discouraged by the need for quarantine and other rules to combat transmission of the virus.
Under a pilot program, fully vaccinated tourists can now skip the mandatory three-day quarantine, even if they have to stay on the island for four days. “I think it’s good for the island,” said Jesse Rayman, 22, a Dutch tourist arriving at Bali airport on Monday. I hope that everyone can travel safely in the future and that the coronavirus is no longer a problem “.
With tourism normally accounting for over 50 percent of Bali’s economy, many on the island have been desperate to see a faster return of tourists, particularly as some neighboring countries have decided to reopen faster. Thailand and the Philippines already have similar no-quarantine programs in place for foreign tourists. Luhut Pandjaitan, one of the ministers overseeing Covid-19 control in Java and Bali, told a press conference on Monday that if the Bali pilot program goes well, all foreign visitors entering Indonesia will no longer be kept in quarantine. from April 1st or earlier.
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