The Government of Bali had reconsidered its plan to reopen tourist destinations in the country to international tourists on September 11, 2020. The government decided to wait until the end of this year and now intend to welcome international tourists in 2021.

Previously, Bali planned to reopen its tourism industry in three stages. First stage from July 9 with reopening of tourist attractions to local residents. Then second stage with reopening of channels for domestic travelers from various regions of Indonesia. The third stage from September 11 to welcome international passengers in Bali.

On Saturday (Aug. 22), Bali Governor Wayan Koster said in his statement during press release, “The government is still prohibiting its citizens from traveling abroad at least until the end of 2020. In line with the policy, we also cannot open the gate to international travelers until the end of 2020 as the situation in Indonesia, including Bali, is not yet safe to welcome them.”

According to Mr. Koster, no country in the world has allowed its citizens to travel abroad. Due to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic, many countries in the world are still imposing strict restrictions on their citizens, which is threatening the health and safety of their citizens. For instant, Australia will not allow its citizens to travel abroad until 2021. The same goes for South Korea, China, Japan and many European countries as well.

He further said that the government fully supported the province’s plan to reopen for international travelers as a part of the tourism recovery efforts. “However, we should be careful, we cannot hurry (such a plan as we) need to be well prepared. In attempting to recover tourism, Bali should not fail, because it will badly impact the image of Indonesia in the eyes of the world,” he added.

It is said that after making this decision, Bali will concentrate on attracting domestic tourists in order to make it on the way to tourism and economic recoveries.

The pandemic has badly hit the local economy of the province, over 70 per cent of which rely on tourism. Bali’s economy shrank by around 11 per cent in the second quarter of 2020. At least 2,670 people in the tourism sector lost their jobs, while more than 73,630 were forced to take unpaid leave.