‘The magic’s still alive’: Bali welcomes back mass tourism to the hippy haven of Indonesia

For decades, Bali has captured the imagination of international tourists who see it as a tropical paradise – but barely 50 were able to visit the island last year

The absence of millions of foreigners each year badly bruised the island’s economy, and left locals and residents alike anxiously awaiting their return

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Foreign travellers are welcomed at Bali’s airport on Monday, the first day of quarantine-free entry for international passengers. Photo: EPA

Published: 8:00am, 13 Mar 2022Updated: 9:11am, 14 Mar 2022

After close to two years of being shut to international tourists, Indonesia last Monday began quarantine-free entry to its most popular resort island of Bali for vaccinated foreigners – with some strings attached. Eligible travellers must have had at least two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, a negative PCR test result before departure and on arrival, hold proof of a minimum four-day stay at accommodation on the island, and health insurance cover of at least US$15,000.

Visitors from 23 countries – including those that sent hordes of travellers pre-pandemic such as Australia, the United States and Britain – can apply for a visa on arrival to enter Bali, which has long drawn visitors to its scenic surfer-friendly beaches, pristine natural beauty, Hindu temples and world-class eateries. In 2019, some 6.9 million foreigners landed in Bali, which is home to more than 4.2 million people, but last year the number of arrivals from overseas dropped to barely 50, decimating an economy that had become largely reliant on tourism.

For decades, Bali has captured the imagination of international tourists who see it as a tropical paradise. Many have developed deep, genuine connections to the island, and these are the people who are likely to return first, said Ubud-based entrepreneur and long-time Bali resident Janet DeNeefe.

A beach in Sanur, Bali. Photo: Shutterstock

“The second the border opens, it’ll be the people who really, really miss Bali and who really want to come back [who return first]. Maybe they’re my age and older who are not necessarily working any more or retired. They’re more flexible in their plans,” she said.

DeNeefe, 62, pointed out that it would take time for airlines to resume regular flights to the island, adding that some people might feel “a bit lazy to travel”. Bali’s airport began accepting international direct flights again on February 4, but only a limited number of routes have opened up – to Singapore, Japan and, more recently, Australia. Around 2,000 foreign tourists visited the island in the first month, according to Bali’s tourism agency.

DeNeefe said that once tourists returned in full force, they would soon rediscover what has drawn people to the island for decades. She first visited Bali in 1975 for a 10-day family holiday in the lush, leafy, laid-back town of Ubud, in the central part of the island, as her dad “had a bit of money and he wanted to take us on a special holiday”.

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