Bali welcomes first international flight in two years as island opens to tourists from all countries
- A Singapore Airlines plane landed in Bali on February 16, the first international passenger flight to the Indonesian holiday island in nearly two years
- One holidaymaker on the flight called the reopening a ‘great sign’ for tourism, although all visitors must first quarantine at a hotel for three to seven days
Bali began a tentative reopening to foreign tourists on February 16, with the first international passenger flight to the Indonesian holiday island in nearly two years.
A Singapore Airlines plane carrying 109 international travellers and 47 Indonesians landed in Bali on February 16, the island’s governor Wayan Koster told a press conference. The foreign visitors must stay in a quarantine bubble at one of 27 designated hotels for three to seven days, depending on the number of vaccine doses received, according to new nationwide rules.
“I hope that in early March, there will be no more quarantine obligation for tourists as long as they comply with health protocol requirements and show negative test results on departure and arrival,” the governor said.
Arriving at Bali airport, Australian holidaymaker James said the reopening was a “great sign” for tourism. Swiss national Manuela, a frequent visitor to Bali before the pandemic, said she had been eagerly anticipating the first flight to the “Island of the Gods”.
“Two years not going to Bali is a long time. After my friend wrote me that Bali would open, I immediately looked for the first flight,” she said.