International tourists at Ngurah Rai airport in Bali, Indonesia. (Photo: XINHUA/VNA)Jakarta (VNA) - The Indonesian government will conduct quarantine-free on a trial basis fortravellers who want to vacation in Bali from March 14 under certain conditions, asenior minister has said.
Speaking at a virtualpress conference on February 27, Co-ordinating Minister for Maritime andInvestment Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said the trial may be launched beforeMarch 14 if the government sees positive development in the next one week forthe continued downward trend in the number of COVID-19 cases in Bali.
Foreign visitors have toshow proof of hotel booking payments for at least four days if they want toenter Bali, while Indonesians who arrive on the holiday island from abroad arerequired to show proof of domicile in the Goddess island, said Panjaitan.
Internationaltravellers who want to enter Bali should have been fully vaccinated or receivedbooster jabs of COVID-19 vaccines, besides conducting entry PCR tests andwaiting at hotels for negative test results, he added.
The Indonesian official said if the tests show negative results, the international travellers areallowed to do other activities under health protocols, adding that they shouldalso carry out PCR tests again on the third day at their hotels.
The requirement to havea guarantor sponsor for tourist e-visa requests will be revoked because it isconsidered burdensome for foreign tourists, he said.
Panjaitan pointed outthat Bali was chosen as the pilot project location because the rate of peoplewith two vaccine doses in the province is higher than in other provinces. If the trial in Bali issuccessful, the government will expand the non-quarantine policy across Indonesia from April 1, or sooner./.
