Stanley Widianto, Agustinus Boo Da Costa

DENPASAR (Reuters). Indonesia’s Bali island holiday was reopened on Thursday to tourists following 18 months of a pandemic. But, international flights are missing from the island.

Bali, a tourist-dependent country, is set to reopen this Thursday. Although simulations have been performed at Ngurah Rai to ensure tourists return to the airport in time for their scheduled reopening on Thursday, they are not anticipating much.

Taufan Yudhistira spoke on behalf of the airport, saying that there has been no schedule.

The pandemic in Indonesia saw tighter immigration policies that led to widespread closings of shops, hotels and other businesses.

Due to sharp falls in coronavirus-related cases in Bali since July (when Indonesia was Asia’s COVID-19 hub), the government wants to revitalize Bali’s struggling tourism industry.

However, details regarding the reopening have been inconsistent, like visa requirements and to what countries they are applying.

In a late Wednesday statement, Indonesia confirmed 19 countries that are eligible. These include China, India and South Korea, as well as several other countries from Western Europe or the Arabian Gulf.

The move follows Thailand’s calibrated reopening that began in July with much fanfare, with the islands of Samui and Phuket https://reut.rs/3nioKWn welcoming vaccinated tourists from multiple countries, with hundreds on the opening days.

Vietnam plans to welcome foreigners to its Phu Quoc https://reut.rs/3Dg54Hv island next month.

However, some representatives of the Indonesian tourism sector claim that Bali’s plan for reopening is not in line with demand.

I Putu Astawa from the Bali tourism agency said hotel reservations were few.

When asked about the sudden spike in bookings, he replied “Not yet” They need to be patient and take proper care of flights and visas.

In addition to requiring Bali tourists to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and quarantine for their first five day, Indonesia also stipulated that they have the right of being kept in quarantine. This is a move rival tourist markets are gradually eliminating.

Ida Bagus Purwa Sidemen said that although we welcome tourists to Bali, this does not necessarily mean that all guests will visit Bali.

“By the end of this year, at the earliest possible time we can assess if the situation has improved.”

In a video released on the president secretariat’s YouTube channel to mark the reopening on Thursday, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said reviving tourism was essential for the island.

“It’s in our best interest that tourism recovers because 54% Bali’s economic depends on it,” he stated.