Six weeks after the reopening, Bali wonders where visitors are | Coronavirus Plague News

Pererenan, Bali – Prior to the epidemic, Dicky, who, like many Indonesians who use only one name, earns $ 20 a day for cosmetic jewelry for tourists on the southwest coast of Bali.

But about two months after Indonesia reopened its doors to visitors from China and 18 other countries, visitors from other countries that Dicky relied on to sell were still in its infancy.

“I came here at 8:00 am and have been walking along the beach all day. I tried, tried but did not sell a single piece all day, “he told Al Jazeera as the bright red blood of the Indian Ocean at Pererenan Beach last week.” I do not understand why so many visitors are not coming because Bali has reopened. “

Dicky is not the only person on the island who is surprised that not a single plane has arrived in Bali since the airport reopened on October 14. COVID-19 metrics on the island – almost the lowest ever recorded since the outbreak began. – just add to the problem.

According to the National Board for Disaster Management in Indonesia, the average for seven days of people with a new condition in Bali has now reached 11, seven days for one death and seven days for a diagnosis of 0.17 percent – fine. Below is the WHO low percentage of 1 percent in HIV-positive areas. Vaccination rates are also above the global average of 42.7 percent, and more than 77 percent of all adults have adequate vaccines in Bali, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

But six weeks after the reopening of the country, only 153 people worldwide applied for travel documents, according to Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration.

A little interest shows in a study by the International Air Transport Association which showed that 84 percent of people are not interested in going on vacation to areas where they need to stay, and Indonesia is setting up hotel accommodations that were recently added based on the Omicron brand.

“Even if they have been isolated for a short time, no one can come to Bali,” said Udayana University Professor I Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, the island’s chief medical officer.

Distractions, difficulties, constant changes, and sometimes opposition to government communications and immigration policies also prevent foreign visitors from traveling.

Thailand has also introduced free tourist visas, but those wishing to travel to Indonesia must apply for visas at foreign embassies or consulates and require a travel agency to act as a guarantor. And they have to prove their secure accommodation for the rest of their stay in Indonesia – a surefire way to end the journey of a fearless traveler.

“There is no clear word from the government on what it is trying to achieve, the route to get there, or simple instructions for potential visitors,” wrote Jackie Pomeroy, a reader of Bali on the “Bali Covid-19 Update” Facebook Page.

And with the destruction of the domestic tourism sector that saw 20,000 Indonesians fly to the island every day in November, the ban was lifted again from December 24 to January 2.

Beach clubs, restaurants and nightclubs will not be able to participate in Christmas events or New Year’s festivities, as TV appearances fear that all the fun trips to Indonesia will be banned during the holidays.

Travel discrimination

Less than a month ago, Professor Gusti advised Indonesia to end the isolation of international vaccinated travelers who were found to be HIV-negative before departure and arrival. But it was only after the WHO realized that Omicron was a workaholic, throwing a radioactive wrench at the long-running resumption of travel companies around the world.

On November 28, Indonesia, in accordance with United Kingdom, Australia and United States policies, barred non-South African citizens or eight other African countries. It also banned travelers from Hong Kong, which has reported its fourth Omicron case. However, it did not stop travelers from the UK, where 246 separate cases were reported since Sunday – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as “racist”.

Indonesia also extended the isolation of immigrants from all other countries from three to seven days. Less than a week later, it was increased, this time to 10, the longest time to establish an Indonesian population since the beginning of the epidemic. A new strict law has forced Garuda, a pilot in the country, to cancel his first scheduled flight to Bali in 20 months from Haneda Airport in Japan on December 5.

These developments have dampened Bali’s hopes of reviving tourism this year, resulting in about 60 percent of the economy before the epidemic. The island’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell by less than three percent in the third quarter, reaching nearly 10 percent in 2020.

Indonesia’s GDP rose 3.5 percent at the same time, making Bali the most difficult region in Indonesia due to the economic crisis for two consecutive years.

With its unique culture and natural beauty, Bali was a very popular destination for tourists coming to Indonesia before the plague. The country has managed to tackle the virus, but only a handful of tourists have returned [Fikri Yusuf/Antara Foto via Reuters]

The global tourist monster that fed Bali is likely to never return until 2019 until 2024, according to McKinsey & Company predicting this in June based on viral load.

Viewers in Bali feel the same way.

“History has shown that Bali is very prone to disasters but the island will take another year or two to heal,” said Mark Ching, executive director of Tamora Group, a well-known landscape organizer on the island. “It’s not just a border. People have to feel safe before they can walk again. ”