TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno appreciated foreigners choosing Indonesia as their holiday destination, particularly Bali, which is considered a world-class tourist attraction.

“What we need to emphasize is that Indonesia is a state of law, and we must ensure that foreign and domestic tourists always obey the COVID-19 health protocols and all rules related to the pandemic recovery, as well as applicable laws and regulations,” said Sandiaga in a voice message today, Jan. 18.

Sandiaga admitted that many tourists opted to visit Indonesia for holidays, staycations, or work while on vacation. He was informed by a multilateral agency that 80 percent of expatriate employees decided to stay and work from Bali.

“We must take this seriously that every tourism and creative economy activity refers to prevailing laws and regulations. And we welcome them,” said Sandiaga Uno.

Issues about foreigners living in Bali recently sparked a heated debate on social media after an American digital nomad posted a Twitter thread about her moving to Bali and calling on other foreigners to follow her way.

Through her account @kristentootie, Kristen Gray said she had been living in Bali since the pandemic or for more than a year. She also revealed the benefits of living here such as safety, low cost of living, luxury lifedata-style, acceptance towards LGBT people, and community of black people.

Read: Sandiaga Uno: Vaccination "Game Changer" for Tourism

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