Follow us for updates
© 2022 reportr.world
Read the Story →

Eat Pray Love 2022: Bali Welcomes Foreign Tourists

That beach retreat is calling.
by Reuters
Mar 8, 2022
Foreign tourists carrying their luggage walk as they arrive at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, as the local government kicks off the first day of the 'quarantine free' trial, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bali, Indonesia, March 7, 2022.
Photo/s: Sultan Anshori, Reuters
Shares

KUTA, Indonesia  -- Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Monday welcomed its first foreign tourists under relaxed coronavirus rules that no longer require arrivals to quarantine, part of a broader easing of curbs in the Southeast Asian country after infections declined.

Known for its surfing, temples, waterfalls and nightlife, Bali drew 6.2 million foreign visitors in 2019, the year before COVID-19 struck. But only a trickle of visitors have returned since Bali started opening up to foreign tourists last October, discouraged by the need to quarantine and other rules.

Bali is also one of the backdrops of Julia Roberts' 2009 film "Eat Pray Love", about a woman who breaks free from her comnfort zone to find her true self.

Under a pilot program, fully vaccinated tourists now can skip a mandatory three-day quarantine, though they need to remain on the island for four days.

"I think it's good for the island," said Jesse Rayman, 22, a Dutch tourist arriving at Bali's airport on Monday. "I hope everyone is able to travel safely in the future, and coronavirus wouldn't be much an issue anymore."

Continue reading below ↓

With tourism normally making up over 50% of Bali's economy, many on the island have been desperate to see a faster return of tourists, particularly as some neighboring countries moved faster.

Thailand and the Philippines already have similar quarantine-free programs in place for foreign tourists.

Shutterstock

Luhut Pandjaitan, a minister overseeing the COVID-19 response in Java and Bali, told a news conference on Monday that if the Bali pilot program went well, all foreign visitors entering Indonesia would no longer be required to quarantine from April 1 or earlier.

Continue reading below ↓
Recommended Videos

ALSO READ:

GUIDE: Countries Dropping Face Masks, COVID Curbs in Return to Normalcy

The End is Near? Face Mask Demand to Fall in 2022, Says 3M

Is COVID Becoming Endemic in the Philippines as Surge Subsides?

Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.

Latest Headlines
Read Next
Recent News
The news. So what? Subscribe to the newsletter that explains what the news means for you.
The email address you entered is invalid.
Thank you for signing up to On Three, reportr's weekly newsletter delivered to your mailbox three times a week. Only the latest, most useful and most insightful reads.
By signing up to reportr.world newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.