Plans to reopen Bali to international visitors on 11 September have been postponed following the Indonesian government’s decision to wait until the end of this year.

Tourists have their picture taken at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on 31 July (Photo: AFP)

In a recent statement, Bali Governor Wayan Koster said that the government is still prohibiting its citizens from traveling abroad at least until the end of 2020, adding that in line with the policy, Bali cannot also open its gate to foreign tourists.

Koster added that the government fully supports the province's plans to reopen to international travelers as part of tourism recovery efforts, however Bali should be careful.

Following the decision, Bali is said to be focusing on efforts to attract domestic tourists in a bid to smooth its way to tourism and economic recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has badly hit Bali’s economy, 80 percent of which relies on tourism. The Bali's economy contracted 10.98 percent in the second quarter of 2020, and at least 2,667 labourers who work in the tourism sector have lost their job, and 73,631 people have been forced to take unpaid leave.

Previously, Bali was planning to reopen its tourism in three phases, starting on July 9 with the reopening of tourist sites to local residents, to be followed with reopening access to domestic travelers from regions across Indonesia. The third phase would have been to start welcoming foreign travelers on 11 September.

Source: VNA