You might just get a chance to visit this island paradise soon enough
The well-loved beachside town of Bali, Indonesia is reportedly looking to reopen its gates to tourists as early as October 2020.
According to its tourism ministry, this popular tourist destination reported 343 COVID-19 cases and four deaths (as of reporting), a small percentage of the 16,496 cases and 1,076 deaths reported archipelago-wide. In an interview with Bloomberg, Bali governor, Wayan Koster, indicated that there was wide concern over Bali as it is the largest tourist destination in Indonesia, but fortunately the infection rate has been managed properly.
Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, the Secretary of Ministry, added that if they continue to flatten the curve, Bali, along with other island provinces such as Yogyakarta and Riau, may begin partial reopening in October. Though the details of its partial reopening have yet to be reported, this initiative will be imposed to prevent a new wave of cases in the region.
Before the reopening, Bali’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will be conducting a Cleanliness, Health and Safety (CHS) Program developed with the Ministry of Health. Pilot testing is said to begin in the Nusa Dua region in Bali and the health protocol “would later become a guide for local governments, managers of tourism destinations and managers of tourism businesses, as well as tourism and other creative economy stakeholders” said Giri in a report by Bali Plus.
Tourism plays a significant role in the Balinese economy, with 80% of the population relying on tourism both directly and indirectly, I Ketut Ardana, head of Bali’s Indonesian National Organisation for Tours and Travel, told ABC. In April, the island’s economy was reportedly crashing due to the tourism bans that have been put in place all over the world.
