Tourists from these 19 countries can take a sun holiday on Bali again

Corona and Bali in 2021: the moment has come, and tourists from these 19 countries can take a sun holiday on Bali again. The Indonesian minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment has announced the list of countries.

“We have given 19 countries permission to be able to travel to Bali (…)”, says Luhut Binsar Panjaitan.

Bali was closed to foreign tourism for a long time

Bali had hoped to open to foreign tourists earlier, as the vaccination campaign gathered pace. There was optimism about the intended corona-free corridor, but the delta variant spread faster.

One postponement followed another, and even August did not work out. In fact no concrete dates for reopening were named any more – until Luhut recently reported a breakthrough .

The politician also announced a selection of countries. This ‘country list’ determines who may and may not enter Indonesia. Now the moment has come: Luhut has released the list.

The list: tourists from these 19 countries can take a sun holiday on Bali again

• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• New Zealand
• Kuwait
• Bahrain
• Qatar
• Liechtenstein
• Italy
• France
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• Poland
• Hungary
• Norway

Corona and Bali: compulsory vaccination, insurance and quarantine

This much-loved holiday destination does set several conditions for interested tourists from abroad. They are only welcome if they are twice vaccinated against corona (COVID-19).

Travellers also have to be insured for any corona treatment. And a five-day quarantine applies, at their own expense. Arriving tourists pay for the necessary accommodation themselves, for instance.

• “Tourists (…) can enter Bali as long as they meet the conditions (…)”, says Luhut, quoted by CNN.

Finally, the reopening applies to direct flights only, and Bali will review it periodically.

Corona and Bali: a very high vaccination rate

Where at first there was no room for foreign tourism, today Bali opens to 19 countries. How so?

Henky Hotma P. Manurung, a special crisis management officer at the Indonesian ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, points to the very high vaccination rate.

• That is above all “one of the reasons for the optimism behind Bali's readiness (…).” No fewer than 99% have had a first vaccination and 90% a second.

Bali has its fingers crossed that foreign tourists will bite; more than 50% of the population depend on the tourist industry.