Japan Agrees to Travel Bubble with Indonesia for Essential Business

KOMPAS.com – Japan has agreed to a travel bubble with Indonesia for essential business and movement of medical professionals.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s visit to Indonesia led to a favorable result for Indonesia’s tourism sector that has been struggling to find its ground amid the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Prime Minister Suga and I agreed on the importance of forming a travel corridor arrangement for essential business,” Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said on October 21.

Read also: President Joko Widodo Welcomes Japanese PM Suga to Indonesia

In the bilateral meeting between the Japanese and Indonesian heads of state at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Jokowi mentioned the importance of implementing tight regulations for essential business travel.

Jokowi added that Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and the Japanese Foreign Minister will discuss further details of Japan’s travel bubble with Indonesia.

The Indonesia-Japan travel bubble talks should be completed within a month.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the Indonesia-Japan travel bubble will also apply for medical professionals.

Read also: Indonesia, Singapore Form Travel Bubble for Essential Trips amid Covid-19 Pandemic

“We want to ensure that allowing the movement of people between both countries will apply for essential business including nurses and caregivers,” said Yoshihide Suga.

Good news for the Indonesian economy

Vice-Chairman of Indonesia’s House of Representatives Rachmat Gobel welcomed the news, saying that Suga’s visit opened up new partnership opportunities beneficial to the Indonesian economy.

In his assessment, Rachmat believes that Japan’s travel bubble with Indonesia will be beneficial to the country but to ASEAN Member-States with whom Japan has established ties.

Read also: IMF: Indonesia Economy to Contract 1.5 Percent Next Year due to Covid-19

“Japan aspires to forge friendly relations with any government,” Rachmat said in a written statement.

Indonesia excluded

The first announcement regarding Indonesia’s travel bubble plans was made on June 12, 2020 by Deputy Coordinating Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs Odo RM Manuhutu.

At the time, he shared that Indonesia was interested in creating a travel bubble with four countries.

“We are planning to create a travel bubble with four countries, namely China, South Korea, Japan, and Australia.” 

Read also: Indonesia to Establish Travel Bubble With Leading Partners

Initial travel bubble plans were based on a meeting led by Jokowi on May 28, 2020.

Continued discussions did not bear fruit as on September 8, Japan had selected Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Taiwan for its travel bubble initiative.

Prior to selecting the four countries, Japan’s travel bubble also included Thailand and Vietnam as well as Singapore later on September 18.

(Writer: Nabilla Ramadhian | Editor: Anggara Wikan Prasetya)

Source: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2020/10/23/111100427/bakal-ada-travel-bubble-indonesia-jepang-seperti-apa?page=all#page2