A Trip to Bali May Have to Wait until July 2020

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Bali provincial government plans to open its doors to tourism starting in July, with emphasis on attracting local tourists living in the Island of the Gods first.

The latest development in Bali’s tourism story was announced by the Marketing Head of Bali Tourism Department, Ida Ayu Indah Yustikarini, on June 21.

Read also: Bali Tourism Remains Closed Amid Pandemic

“The Bali Governor, I Wayan Koster, plans to start in July, but only for the Balinese locals,” Ida said during a live streaming session called “Socialization in the New Normal for the Tourism and Creative Economy Sectors.”

The Bali provincial government has emphasized that the popular tourist destination is not rushing to reopen.

There are still active Covid-19 cases throughout the island although it has been spared the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mitigating the coronavirus pandemic remains the Balinese government’s first priority despite the regional economy being dominated by tourism activities.

Read also: Bali Strives to Diversify Its Economy and Rely Less on Tourism

The cautious approach was also highlighted by the Marketing Director of Tourism Region I at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Vinsensius Jemadu.

In a statement, Vinsensius said that Bali is the capital of Indonesian tourism thus it should not be rushing into its reopening.

“Bali is really making a significant effort to not ruin its image. Why? Because tourism is all about image. This is an aspect that Bali is working to protect because it is a tourist magnet, be it for Indonesians or foreigners,” said Vinsensius.

In August 2020, the government plans to allow tourists from Indonesia to visit Bali. Foreigners will have to wait until September for their chance to visit the famous island.

Still in the pipeline

The latest updates of tourism in Bali remain as plans for now, according to Ida. The Bali provincial government continues to monitor the island for Covid-19 updates.

“We have to look at the curve of Bali’s Covid-19 cases. If the number of cases decreases, then the governor’s plans can go into effect. If it doesn’t, then our plans may change,” said Ida.