Quarantine-Free Travel Bubble between Singapore and Bali

Quarantine-Free Travel Bubble between Singapore – Bali and Indonesian islands  of Batam and Bintan for fully-vaccinated and insured visitors. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in an online briefing. It covers people traveling by sea between Singapore and Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam and Bintan Telani Port, he said.  Batam and Bintan were popular weekend getaways for Singapore residents prior to the pandemic. The coronavirus crisis has taken a toll. Overseas visitors to the two islands slumped 86% back in 2020, cutting the income of food and accommodation businesses by 41%, the government said last March. Bintan Lagoon Resorts closed down in 2020 as the flow of visitors dried up.

Now Singapore and Indonesia are both following a strategy of trying to live with the virus, opening their borders more freely to those who are eligible. Singapore eased testing rules for vaccinated travelers last week, while Indonesia lifted a ban on all arrivals from overseas earlier this month, though they are still required to isolate for seven days. The new travel arrangement with Batam and Bintan will be reviewed every week, said Luhut Panjaitan, who is in charge of Indonesia’s pandemic response. 

Indonesia is also in talks with Japan and India for a similar travel arrangement, according to Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno in a separate briefing. Flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia will start flying direct to India from Bali, Uno said. Direct flights to the island are expected to pick up in the second and third quarter, It was not immediately clear how the arrangement will be implemented in both countries and Singapore’s transport and tourism authorities did not immediately respond. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the process could take time. Once Asia’s COVID-19 epicentre, Indonesia has seen a rise in infections lately following months of containment, including from the Omicron variant. It reported its first two Omicron-related deaths on Saturday.