Coronavirus: 5,000 Chinese tourists stranded in Bali after Indonesia’s flight ban

Indonesia will extend the tourist visas of the Chinese travellers after they were caught unawares by the flight bans

To stem the spread of the coronavirus, direct flights to China and visas on arrival for Chinese citizens have been suspended

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Some Chinese tourists have said they prefer to stay on in Bali rather than return to China quickly because of the outbreak, the consulate said. Photo: Antara Foto via Reuters

Published: 3:55pm, 5 Feb 2020Updated: 4:28pm, 5 Feb 2020

An estimated 5,000 Chinese tourists are stuck in Indonesia’s popular resort island of Bali after Indonesia banned direct flights to and from mainland China to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

As most of the visitors were travelling on short tourist visas and were caught unawares by the flight ban, Indonesia said on Tuesday it would grant extensions of one month.

Chinese Consul General in Denpasar Gou Haodong met local officials in Bali and sought help to extend the stay of the stranded tourists, the consulate said in a statement on its website.

The plight of the tourists illustrates the quandary in which travelling Chinese citizens find themselves, after the coronavirus outbreak triggered flight and travel restrictions around the world.

Indonesia suspended direct flights to and from mainland China from Wednesday with the last flight to Guangzhou departing Wednesday morning from Bali. It has also temporarily discontinued visas on arrival for Chinese citizens.

Bali, the most popular Indonesian tourist destination, is already feeling the pinch of the virus outbreak with visitors staying away from its beaches and scenic terraced rice paddy fields.