Introduction
Indonesia closed its borders in March 2020, shortly after the government confirmed the country’s first Covid-19 cases, which wreaked havoc on the Bali tourism economy. The provincial island of Bali is struggling to cope with a large reduction in tourist visits due to its dependency on tourism. Foreign visitors are still prohibited from entering the island as of June 2021.
The Bali tourism reopening plan has been postponed numerous times, but a date has finally been set for the island’s reopening. Here are the most recent updates we have on the Indonesian government’s decision to reopen Bali’s tourism industry.
Timeline of events: Bali Tourism Reopen Plan
October 2021, Latest Update
Bali Ngurah Rai Airport will reopen to international routes on October 14, 2021, according to the government. Only selected countries will be permitted initially. The countries that currently eligible are United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, South Korea, China, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and New Zealand will also qualify for entry but this is not a complete list.
The complete details of Bali’s reopening have yet to be revealed, but we do know a little about what to expect. All visitors to the island will be obliged to stay in a hotel for an eight-day quarantine at their own expense. We will inform any updates regarding the technical requirements once the officials announce it to the public.
September 2021
In a written statement, the Indonesian government hinted that Bali’s reopening will be based on Thailand’s well-known Phuket Sandbox plan.
Despite this, officials provided no details on how a comparable plan might be implemented in Bali. You must be completely vaccinated with an authorized COVID 19 vaccination to be eligible for Thailand’s Phuket Sandbox plan. However, there is no clarity on whether there will be the same need for entering Bali under a similar program in the future.
August 2021, Bali Tourism Reopen Postponed
The Governor of Bali announced at the end of August that the reopening of Bali, which had been scheduled for September, would be postponed once more. This is due to an increase in coronavirus cases across the country.
At this time, no new target date for Bali tourism reopen plan has been set, but officials have emphasized that international tourists will only be permitted to return once the situation, both inside and outside of Indonesia, is favourable.
July 2021, Bali Tourism Partial Lockdown
On July 1, 2021, the Indonesian government ordered a partial lockdown, resulting in the closure of schools, mosques, shopping malls, and restaurants throughout much of the island of Bali and the main island of Java, including the capital, Jakarta. Restrictions are still in place, with changes based on the location and amount of COVID-19 instances.
Bali tourism reopen plan has been postponed once again due to an increase in the number of cases. The idea for the future is to vaccinate everyone within the agreed-upon green zones and create “safe routes” or travel corridors to assist people in getting there. Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and the Creative Industries (Kemenparekraf) has announced that he will consider three things when choosing which nations will be eligible for the travel corridors:
- Whether COVID-19 has been controlled in its spread
- High national vaccination rate
- Offer reciprocal terms to Indonesia
May 2021, Work From Bali
The Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries is encouraging people to work from Bali. Up to 25% of Indonesian civil servants from seven ministries, including Kemenparekraf, have started working from the island in the hopes of reviving Bali tourism industry, which is critical to its economy.
According to the minister, the program will have a 70 percent multiplier effect on creative industries and SMEs such as cuisine, souvenirs, and fashion products.
In addition, the minister proposed a transport corridor agreement with a few nations and urged vaccination in Gianyar Regency to construct “Green Zones.” Nusa Dua, Sabur, and Ubud are the designated Green Zones. When Bali reopens, these zones will soon be able to receive vaccinated visitors.
March 2021, The Green Zones
The discussion of designated ‘green zones’ began in early March 2021. These were places with low COVID-19 cases that may begin hosting foreign and domestic tourists as part of a carefully monitored program. The hotspots of Nusa Dua, Ubud, Kuta, Nusa Penida, and Sanur were all identified as potential green zones. Bali will reopen to vaccinated visitors in July 2021, according to officials.
September 2020, Re-opening stages – Phase 3
The third and final step involves the willingness to reopen Bali tourism to foreigners. Phase 3 was intended to begin in September 2020, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it has been postponed indefinitely. President Joko Widodo recently stated in a video that Bali could reopen to international tourists in July 2021, but no details have been released.
July 2020, Re-opening stages, Phase 2
The second phase began in late July 2020. The island of Bali has reopened to all domestic tourists. This means that visitors from Indonesia and other countries who are currently in the country can now go and visit the island for tourist activities.
June 2020, Re-opening stages, Phase 1
The first phase of the reopening began in early July 2020, focusing on local companies, venues, and commerce, including health services, eateries, government offices, customs, local and traditional markets, transportation, agriculture, and places of worship. However, until Phase 2, all Bali tourist sites stayed closed.
March 2020
When the world went into lockdown due to concerns about the coronavirus, a large number of people decided to cancel their travels to Bali. Due to the drop in tourism and the rise of COVID-19 cases, the Indonesian government eventually banned tourists from entering the country.
Who can enter Bali now
As of now, only the following people are permitted to enter the island:
- Indonesian citizens (WNI) living abroad
- Holders of valid Official Visa, Diplomatic Visa, Visit Visa, Temporary Stay Visa, Official Residence Permit, Diplomatic Residence Permit, Temporary Stay Permit (ITAS) and Permanent Stay Permit (ITAP)
- Transport crew members
- Medical, food, and humanitarian aid workers
- Holders of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card
- Holders of Traditional Border Crossing card
Related Articles: 5 Important Things You Can’t-Miss Before Moving to Bali
Airlines flying to Bali
Currently, only local carriers are allowed to fly from and to Bali. The Indonesian national carrier, Garuda Indonesia is amongst one of the airlines that resume domestic operations.
Conclusion: Bali Tourism Reopen Plan
The Indonesian government has signalled its willingness to reopen the island to international tourists to help revive Bali tourism industry. With the reopening of international flights to Bali, it appears that preparations for the 14th of October are well underway. However, with so many specifics regarding the reopening still to be revealed, it’s difficult to predict what kind of Bali visitors will be able to see once they’re let in.
If you have any questions regarding the Indonesian stay permits, drop us an email at anita@permitindo.com or by filling out this form. We look forward to hearing from you.
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