The Indonesian island of Bali will remain closed to foreign tourists for the rest of 2020, due to coronavirus concerns.
Earlier, authorities of the popular holiday destination said that they planned to welcome foreign tourists from September 11. But the plan has been postponed as the coronavirus continues to spread in Indonesia.
In a recent statement, Bali Governor Wayan Koster said, "The situation in Indonesia is not conducive to allow international tourists to visit the country, including Bali."
The island's governor did not specify when Bali would reopen to foreign travellers but said, "The Indonesian government couldn't reopen its doors to foreign travellers until the end of 2020 as we remain a red zone."
After some success in containment early on, the coronavirus infection rate in Bali jumped in June as migrant workers returned home and testing increased. The island had reported 4,576 coronavirus infections and 52 deaths as of Monday.
Meanwhile, the latest move has renewed worries about the impact on residents in an economy heavily dependent on tourism. Millions of foreigners fly to Bali each year in search of deserted beaches, terraced rice fields and sprawling Hindu temples. But their numbers have dropped sharply since Indonesia closed its borders to non-residents, like other countries battling with coronavirus pandemic.
Since the end of July, the island has turned to domestic visitors to help its ravaged tourism industry, the heart of the local economy, reopening beaches, temples and other landmarks to local travellers. But hotels and restaurants have been struggling to survive, with many resort workers returning home to villages and small towns to earn an income. - BBC, Straight Times Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com
