INDONESIAN TOURISM MINISTER VISITS BALI TO DISCUSS REOPENING FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM

 INDONESIAN TOURISM MINISTER VISITS BALI TO DISCUSS REOPENING FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM

President Joko Widodo has recently appointed a new Tourism Minister, Sandiaga Uno – previous Vice Governor of Jakarta, to stimulate the tourism industry in Indonesia. 

As Indonesia’s prime tourist destination, Uno made a trip to Bali to analyze and discuss the reopening of the island to international tourism.

Today (27/12) marks Uno’s first appearance in Bali as Tourism Minister, as he arrived to evaluate the performance of safety measures and prevention protocols on the island.

The objective of this visit is to assess airport and hospitality regulations to verify that Bali is safe and ready to reopen.

“I believe the most integral constituent for Bali is to enforce all health and safety protocols as the island is considered as the main tourist destination for both domestic and international tourists” said Uno. 

Uno plans to establish communication with the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, and the Maritime and Investment Coordinator Minister, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, to discuss the possibility of reopening which he says is his number one priority during this visit.

“I’m also concerned about the people in Bali that have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. I hope people will stay patient as I try to find solutions” Sandiaga added.

After inspecting Ngurah Rai International Airport, along with several tourist attractions, Uno admitted that the execution of protocol is strictly enforced.

He also noted that Bali has sufficiently managed the influx of domestic tourists this holiday season.

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Source : https://thebalisun.com/

 OVER 1000 VISITORS CANCEL TRIP TO BALI TEMPLE FOLLOWING NEW ENTRY REGULATION

The recently issued decree, requiring domestic tourists to present a negative COVID-19 test results upon arrival in Bali has affected a number of tourist attractions including Ulun Danu Beratan Temple.

Previously, thousands of tourists canceled their hotel reservations in Gianyar, Badung and Karangasem, with Tabanan most recently impacted by the policy. The Manager of Ulun Danu Beratann Temple, I Wayan Mustika, explained that 20 travel agents have officially canceled trips to Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Tabanan during this holiday season.

He admitted that the cancelations were the result of the new entry requirement that has just been newly issued by the provincial government to require a swab test or rapid antigen test with negative results from each visitor.

 “Travel agents that have canceled their reservations were from Malang, Surabaya and Bandung. Although they had booked the reservation more than a month ago, we just started receiving cancelations on Wednesday (16/12)” Wayan Mustika said.

Wayan was disappointed with the new decree which affected over 1,000 visitors who became reluctant to travel this holiday season.

Meanwhile the management of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple has prepared all safety measures inside the area of the temple, such as providing hand wash stations, hand sanitizers and temperature checking upon arrival.

In an interview with The Manager of Tanah Lot Temple, I Ketut Toya Adnyana stated that the amount of visits at Tanah Lot Temple is far from what they expected earlier. “We noticed that the visitors are much fewer than the previous holiday season” Ketut Toya concluded.

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Source : https://thebalisun.com/

 BALI GOV’T PREPARES TO REOPEN BORDERS FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS

The provincial government of Bali is working with the central government in preparation of reopening the island’s borders for international tourists.

During a press conference at the Bali Communication and Statistics Agency Office on Thursday (17/12), Bali Regional Secretary, Dewa Made Indra, confirmed that the central government is closely supervising the preparation stage.

“Signs of reopening the border to international tourists are clearer, especially since several ministers have recently inspected implementation of protocols in Bali” Made Indra said.

Recently, the Indonesian Transportation Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Law and Human Rights Minister and other government officials inspected the Ngurah Rai International Airport and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Park.

Indra explained that reopening borders during the pandemic is not an easy task as many countries have not yet revoked travel restrictions.

He explained that the peak of travel season is soon approaching with the year-end holiday. The reason for new entry policies applied to domestic tourists is to prevent a surge in cases after the holiday season ends.

“We need to be more alert in handling the influx of domestic visitors this year. If we fail to reduce transmission by the end of the holiday season, all our efforts will go in vain” concluded the former Head of Bali Disaster Management Agency.

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Source : https://thebalisun.com/

 BALI GOVERNOR ISSUES REGULATION FORBIDDING NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATIONS

As a result of the rising Covid-19 cases, the Governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, has issued a decree forbidding new year’s eve celebrations in the province. Strict safety measures are in effect across Bali, and anyone defying government orders will be penalized.

The decree was initiated by the Central Government to prevent large gatherings which can lead to virus transmission during the current pandemic.

The Governor outlined the details of the new regulation during a press conference in Denpasar on Tuesday morning (15/12). “Every person, business or facility planning to celebrate new year’s eve this holiday season will be strictly prohibited to organize any kind of indoor or outdoor event, light up fireworks or consume alcohol in public places,” stated Koster.

The Governor also added that all operating accommodations or tourist attractions must comply with health and safety protocols, including providing hand wash stations, hand sanitizers, wearing masks, maintaining social distance and limiting capacity.

The Government’s Decree number 46 Year 2020 will be in effect from Friday December 18, 2020 until Friday January 4, 2021.

According to the decree, each person or business disobeying the regulation will be penalized based on government policy.

This policy was commenced by the central government due to the rising Covid-19 cases in Indonesia, including Bali. As of Monday December 14, 2020, Bali recorded 77 new cases, resulting in a total 15,150 cases in Bali since the start of the pandemic.

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Source : https://thebalisun.com/

BALI AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN DIRE NEED OF GOVERNMENT AID

 Agriculture Professor, Wayan Windia from Udayana University, has urged the government to help the devastated agricultural sector.

Widiana requests the government to focus its attention on farmers as they struggle to survive the consequences of the current global pandemic.

He stated that the Central Government stimulus is more concentrated on the hospitality industry while neglecting the fact that the agriculture sector has been at the lowest economic state even prior to the pandemic.

“We need to be grateful that our agricultural sector maintains enough stability to provide food security and daily consumption in Indonesia” expressed Windia.

The Professor urged the Agricultural Minister to request the President to provide a much needed grant to the agricultural sector during the Cabinet meeting.

Windia encouraged relevant organizations including HKTI and HNSI to speak up and fight for farmers’ rights and government assistance.

In 2018, the Governor had issued Governor’s Regulation Number 99 to provide farmers with financial aid.

“According to my research, only 13 percent of the agricultural sector has received small portions of cash assistance, while 35 percent of Bali’s population is employed within this sector. This is far from enough” Windia concluded.

Source : https://thebalisun.com/