For the very first time since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, the Indonesian resort island of Bali has officially resumed international direct flights carrying Western tourists, though mandatory quarantine stays in effect.

According to media reports, international visitors must have Covid-19 vaccination certificates received at least 14 days prior to departure, as well as negative RT-PCR test results obtained from their countries of origin at least 48 hours prior to departure. For fully vaccinated travellers, the quarantine period is five days; for travellers who have only received the first dose, the quarantine period is seven days. 

It should be held at a hotel or on a 'liveaboard' that has been approved by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. Since mid-October 2021, Bali has been open to tourists from China, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and UAE but there have been no direct flights since then.

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Indonesia saw a sharp decline in overseas tourists, down to 1.6 million people last year. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Bali alone could welcome 6.2 million foreign visitors every year before the epidemic arrived. The resort island is known for its beaches, surfing, temples, and nightlife, and the tourist sector contributes for 54 percent of Indonesia's economy.

The reopening of flights to the world-famous holiday island was supposed to help the Southeast Asian country's tourism sector recover after being hit severely by the virus. On Friday, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan remarked, "I hope the reopening can help recover the people's economy on the island." The reopening of Bali, on the other hand, coincided with a steady rise in Covid-19 cases in the country.

According to data from the country's Health Ministry, Indonesia confirmed 32,211 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, bringing the total number of illnesses to 4,446,694, while the total number of confirmed Omicron cases in the archipelagic country grew to 3,161.

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