Following an endorsement from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the Indonesian government and local officials are poised to announce the reopening of Bali to international tourists. The news was confirmed recently by Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, following a special event hosted by UNWTO: Capacity Building Workshop on Restarting International Tourism in Bali.
The virtual workshop was geared towards restarting international tourism in Bali as soon as possible. Leading UNWTO experts have stated that the island is ready to reopen in time for Christmas, while local officials are suggesting that early in the New Year would be a more realistic timeframe. Either way, it appears that Bali’s return to the international tourism stage is set to happen sooner than expected.
The UNWTO delegation in Bali completed a detailed inspection of Bali’s protocols and infrastructure to assess the Indonesian government’s implementation of health and safety protocols required for a post-pandemic revival. The results of these inspections will come as music to the ears of the island’s tourism operators, as UNWTO declared Bali safe and ready for the return of international tourists as soon as possible.
“I am extremely happy to see Indonesia and Bali,” said Harry Hwang, who is director of UNWTO Asia Pacific, following the inspection. “You guys are ready to reopen for tourism soon or next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if the government announced that Bali is open before Christmas,” he added.
In November, Bali’s Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati (also known simply as Cok Ace), moved quickly to refute rumours that Bali would reopen on 1st December. “It looks like it will be early next year when we open to foreign tourists,” said Cok Ace at the time. He added that several conditions must first be met before he could consider reopening Bali. “Apart from all our efforts in Bali, the decision of the central government, as well as the conditions of the market countries [are] also very influential,” he explained.
The latest inspection and endorsement from UNWTO, combined with increased support from the central government, appears to be a major step towards meeting Cok Ace’s requirements and reopening Bali to international tourists, with officials continuing to monitor the Covid-19 situation on the island to ensure the safety of returning visitors. Bali has been open to domestic tourists since July, with relatively few new cases of the virus occurring in the time since. This, along with the latest news from UNWTO, bodes well for the return of foreign arrivals in the near future.
