bali governor says "no near future plans to open bali for tourism"

You may have come across the news and rumors about Bali opening up for tourism soon however it may not be true. Bali Governor Wayan Koster said yesterday that Bali is in a process of recovery, the whole focus is on the public health and the crisis amid Covid-19 pandemic. This doesn't include any plans of restarting the tourism activities in the near future.

“We are prioritizing health in Bali. The president has also agreed that tourism will be [considered] last,” Bali Governor Wayan Koster

Bali will be focusing on restarting and reestablishing the local economy first, officials are still in the process of reviewing the steps to be taken.

All the tourist attractions including the beaches on the Island of Gods are temporarily closed. Talks of a new normal are front and center among Indonesian officials this week, with discussions of strict health protocols taking precedence, including in the tourism industry. President Jokowi recently said that officials and tourism owners should forecast and anticipate the changes in the traveling and tourism trend by focusing and establishing the health focused tourism protocols.

President further advised that tourist hubs should not act hasty and reopen without proper measures. This remark was referred to a statement issued by the governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Wednesday, who announced that tourist destinations in that province will begin reopening on June 15. 

“Once again, on the field it needs to be extremely strict before we reopen, so that travelers, whether domestic or foreign, can travel safely and members of the public can return to a productive life,” Jokowi said. 

As for the time being plans for Bali is to act as a pilot location for Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s Cleanliness, Health, and Safety (CHS) program, which is currently being prepared to welcome visitors after the coronavirus pandemic.