TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Tuesday announced that the popular international tourism island Bali will soon be opening its doors for international tourists starting on October 14.

He said there are at least 6 countries that have established communication with Indonesia regarding this plan. They will be the first countries to have their citizens permitted to visit Bali amidst Covid-19 pandemic measures.

“Six countries where their tourists are permitted to visit Indonesia are South Korea, Japan, China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand,” Sandiaga Uno wrote in a statement on October 12.

The Indonesian government adopts Thailand’s tourism scheme known as the Phuket Sandbox to determine which countries have the green light to visit Bali. The scheme establishes a multilateral travel corridor arrangement (TCA) with countries that are at low-risk in the spread of Covid-19.

Apart from the six aforementioned countries, the government is planning to add its travel corridors to Hungary, France, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Singapore, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia.

Sandiaga Uno said his Ministry continues to coordinate with the Health Ministry, Covid-19 task force, as well as Foreign Affairs Ministry in determining and approving which foreign nationals are allowed to enter Bali.

In contrast with Sandiaga’s statement, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said there are 18 countries with permits to have their citizens travel to Bali.

Read: Sandiaga Uno: Foreign Tourists Violating Health Protocols May Be Deported

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA