Bali Governor Proposes Government To Reduce Quarantine Time To 1 Day
Bali Governor, I Wayan Koster proposes the central government reduce quarantine time for international visitors in Bali.
As part of the entry requirements for Bali international visitors, Bali provincial government admits that the current quarantine policy has caused reluctance for potential international visitors to start traveling to Bali. As a result, the Bali Governor plans to propose the central government reduce the quarantine time to only 1 day in order to help revive Bali’s economy from the crisis.
“As long as our visitors are fully vaccinated and test negative upon their arrival, I don’t think that quarantine is still necessary. But I’ll propose to the central government to reduce the quarantine time to only 1 day.” Koster said when welcoming the new Indonesian Ambassador candidates for 15 different countries on Thursday (11/11).
Koster also asked those candidates to help him promote Bali tourism during their job in those selected countries. “I kindly ask all the new ambassadors to help us promote our tourism as part of the effort to revive Bali’s tourism as well as the economy,” Koster added.
Meanwhile, when Koster was asked about his latest statement regarding 20,000 international visitors that were expected to arrive in November 2021 as The Bali Sun previously reported, he explained that some visitors were scheduled to come to Bali with Garuda Airlines this month.
“I was informed by Garuda Airlines that Japanese visitors will start coming in November, but I have no idea about their exact dates,” Koster concluded. (coconuts.co/ 15/11/2021)
Bali completes 1st phase of COVID-19 vaccination target
Over 3.4 million people in Bali have gotten their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, official data shows, which translates to the province completing the first phase of its vaccination target.
Bali is second only to Indonesia’s capital Jakarta when it comes to vaccination rates, and appears well on its way to fully vaccinate its target population soon. As of Nov. 7, nearly 3 million people have been fully vaccinated in Bali, according to data from the Health Ministry. The number amounts to about 87 percent of the province’s vaccination target.
While the vaccination target has been reached for public servants and health workers, Bali still has some ways to go when it comes to elderly people and the general public, as rates for the two groups are still below 60 percent.
Denpasar city and Badung regency have the highest number of people fully vaccinated, at nearly 700,000 and more than 451,000, respectively. These are currently the only regions in Bali that have reached their vaccination targets.
The COVID-19 situation in Bali has gradually improved since the mid-year major surge triggered by the Delta variant, with officials reporting 11 new cases and one death yesterday. (thebalisun.com/ 15/11/2021)
Officials Plan To Improve Tourism In Western Bali
Officials from the Jembrana regional government have planned to build an all-in-one circuit to attract more tourism on the western side of Bali.
An official of Pengambengan Village Jembrana, Kamaruzzaman confirmed that the regional government will begin construction of an all-in-one circuit in Pengambenan village by 2022, as one of the efforts to increase the economic activity in Jembrana. “Although the program was initiated by the regional government, I will ensure that Pengambengan village will provide a lot of support for this project,” Kamaruzzaman said.
However, he also admitted that this project has an issue; most parts of the construction site are currently being occupied by local goat farmers, so village officials plan to approach all the goat farmers before finally relocating their herd to a more appropriate place as this area is owned by the regional government. “We will approach friendly and ask them to find another place for their animals to prevent any potential conflict with the villagers,” Kamaruzzaman added.
The project was funded by the Tourism and Creative Economy Minister and it is expected to attract more international and domestic visitors to visit the western parts of the island. They plan on doing this by holding several weekly events such as horse races, traditional buffalo races, and traditional music festivals. Other than that, this facility will also provide an open green space for the local residents in the area. (thebalisun.com/ 15/11/2021)
Spectators must be fully vaxxed to watch the Superbike World Championship race in Lombok
With less than 10 days until the upcoming Superbike World Championship (WSBK) grand prix at Lombok’s Mandalika Circuit, event organizers have begun to raise awareness on the requirement that spectators must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to watch the race live.
The 13th round of the WSBK is scheduled from Nov. 19 to 21, making it Mandalika International Street Circuit’s second event after Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC), which will take place from Nov. 12 to 14.
In an Instagram post, the Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) laid out some terms and conditions for live spectators, who must have received two jabs against COVID-19 and present a negative result from either a PCR or rapid antigen test. Those below 12 years old are prohibited from entering the circuit area, while the PeduliLindungi tracking app is mandatory for all attendees.
Foreign nationals are also expected to show their vaccine certificate and PCR or rapid antigen test results, according to a procedure that organizers have sent via email.
Daily tickets for WSBK went on sale this week, with prices for Day 1 of the race starting at IDR150K (US$10.52) before tax. For links to the Mandalika event’s official ticketing partners, click here.
Last week, many local residents lamented the steep price range to watch the world-class racing event live, even when it’s happening on their own island.
Benoa Port to be Showcased to G20 Summit
The rebuilding of Bali’s southern Port of Benoa into a modern Bali Maritime Tourism Hub (BMTH) is now underway and scheduled for completion by mid-2023.
Balipost.com reports that organizers of the G20 Summit in Bali in November 2022 are planning for the BMTH to be used as a side-venue for the international meeting headquartered in nearby Nusa Dua.
The G20 Summit will attract 6,500 participants from 20 countries, including 38 heads of state and 60 ministers of state delegations.
Ayodhia Kalake, the Deputy for the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, revealed plans to shine a spotlight on the Benoa Cruise Port during the G20 Summit during a visit to Bali on Tuesday 02 November 2021.
The massive renovation of the Port of Benoa to serve cruise ships and yachts has been declared by the President as a strategic development project to enhance the national tourism industry.
Kalake said, “Welcome to BMTH” will be an official “side-event” of the G20 Summit.
Although the final upgrade of the Port of Benoa will only take place in mid-2023, planners claim the project will demonstrate to world leaders the potential of Bali as a cultural and tourism destination.
In developing the Port of Benoa, the use of local products and equipment has been maximized to the fullest extent possible.
During Kalake’s Bali visit, Ali Sadikin, the CEO of PELINDO for Bali and Nusa Tenggara, praised the port development project and its potential to help Indonesia recover from the pandemic and establish Benoa as a cruise shipping hub.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Benoa hosted more than 100 cruise ship calls per year. The BMTH, according to Sadikin, will stimulate the local economy in Bali and pave the way to the opening of new cruise destinations across the archipelago.
The BMTH will not solely focus on cruise ship visits but also support yacht tourism, the fishing industry, an LPG depot, and a shipping container port.
Improvements at The BMTH will allow ships of a 350-meter length and a 6,000 passenger capacity to berth in South Bali. (balidiscovery.com 15/11/2021)
Festival Badminton in Bali 16 Nov – 05 Dec
Bali’s first international event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian Badminton Festival 2021, will take place on the Island between 16 November – 05 December 2021.
Champion players from 24 countries will travel to Bali to participate in the tournaments that will be held following strict health protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The three back-to-back badminton tournaments:
Daihatsu Indonesia Master: 16-21 November 2021
Indonesia Open: 23-28 November 2021
BWF World Tour Final: 1-5 December 2021
Unlike championships conducted globally before the pandemic, the Bali sporting events will not host awards ceremonies at gala dinners. These gala dinners were often both awards ceremonies and fashion events in the past, with athletes attending in splendid costumes representing their respective countries. Unfortunately, the Bali tournaments have been scaled back minus the celebratory dinner parties to limit creating potential clusters of new coronavirus infection. Similarly, spectator attendance in Bali at the actual matches will be restricted, with fans forced to follow the games virtually and online.
Quoted by detikSport.com, Broto Happy, the Indonesian Badminton Federation (FBSI) spokesperson, commented: “It looks like no gala dinners. Those in charge of health protocols won’t allow it. This would result in public mass gatherings.”
Broto insists the lack of gala dinners will not diminish the celebratory mood of the three tournaments conducted within a “travel bubble.” Adding: “There will certainly be events prepared to entertain the athletes and ensure they do not become bored. I am not sure how these events will be structured. But, in any case, there will be no gala dinners.”
Speaking on Monday, 09 November 2021, Broto confirmed that foreign athletes had already arrived in Jakarta and were completing the 3-day mandatory quarantine at a hotel close to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. He said athletes would be put on flights from Jakarta to Bali on 09 November and the following day. (balidiscovery.com 15/11/2021)
Australians one step closer to Bali as gov’t updates travel advice
Australians are now one step closer to visiting Bali, after the government down under eased its COVID-related travel advice today, ahead of their international reopening next week.
In an updated travel advice framework, the Australian government has removed the “do not travel” advisory put in place since March 2020. The updated framework also saw Indonesia lowered to a Level 2 of 4.
Due to the ongoing risk posed by the coronavirus, no international destination will be set lower than Level 2, Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Penny Williams, said on Twitter today.
Level 2 advice says that Australians should “exercise a high degree of caution” when traveling abroad. In Indonesia, the Australian government warns of limited availability of testing and infection control facilities, while noting that critical care for Australians who become seriously ill, including in Bali, “is significantly below the standard available in Australia.” You can read the updated travel advice in detail here.
While this is one hurdle less for Australians looking to holiday in Bali, they must still wait for the Indonesian government to include Australia on its list of eligible origin countries for international arrivals. Currently, Indonesia is only accepting travelers from 19 countries, which includes China, India, and France.