Asia Minute: Bali beckoning? | Hawai’i Public Radio

The welcome is warming up for travelers coming to the Indonesian island of Bali.

The island has already been hosting domestic tourists — now hosting an average of 4,300 visitors a day.

That’s more than five times the pace of June and July.

International travelers may be returning later this month — with some conditions.

Visitors will need to be fully vaccinated and test negative for the coronavirus, then undergo an eight-day quarantine.

Those from countries with high case numbers may be excluded.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations declined sharply over the last part of the summer — both in Bali and across Indonesia — but health officials warn any new spike could also change these plans.

The vaccination rate on the island is now more than 70%. Reuters puts the national rate at a little more than 25%.

Earlier this month the cabinet minister in charge of the pandemic reaction sparked a controversy when he suggested budget travelers were not the ideal demographic.

He told the Bali Sun, “We’ll aim for quality tourism in Bali, so we won’t allow backpackers to enter once the reopening plan for international travelers is officially put in place.”

A government spokesman later said the minister meant to say those who break the law would not be welcome.