Sandiaga Uno Talks of Plan on Direct Flights from Bali to India
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17 March 2021 17:07 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno suggested the opening of direct flights from Bali to India during a meeting with the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Shri Manoj Kumar Bharti in Ubud.
“I have just finished discussing the plan to reopen Bali tourism and direct flights from India. We are preparing this, which is now in the finalization stage. There will be collaborations on other sectors as well,” said Sandiaga in his statement on Wednesday, March 17.
The idea to open direct flights was due to the increasing number of tourist arrivals from India every year before the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), 264,516 Indian tourists visited Bali in 2017, 353,894 in 2018, and 374,043 in 2019.
The government plans to immediately reopen the tourism in Bali for foreign tourists under the travel bubble scheme. The Bali government has also set three regions that are free from Covid-19 transmission or green zones to welcome tourists, namely Ubud in Gianyar Regency, Sanur in Denpasar City, and ITDC Nusa Dua in Badung Regency.
Apart from the tourism sector, Sandiaga said Indonesia and India are ready to cooperate in the investment and trade sectors. “These will surely be in the scope of tourism and creative economy,” he added.
Sandiaga Uno hoped that the bilateral relations would increase job opportunities and raise the spirit of businesses in Bali so that the regional economy would soon recover.
Read: Jokowi to Reopen Bali Tourism Once Covid-19 Spread Slows Down
FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA