Garuda Indonesia Bali flights to US and France Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, New Delhi and Mumbai are planned the island would open its doors to international tourists as of Sept. 11, 2020. The airline is working on the plan with the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises and Ministry of Tourism, according to Garuda President Irfan Setiaputra. Garuda and the Tourism Ministry have agreed that the only way to boost foreign tourist visits is by introducing direct flights to Bali. Hopefully, we can make it through this crisis and start direct flights from countries that have large spending capabilities,” said the President of the airline.    The relevant ministries are looking to set Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport as the major tourist entry point in the long run. Indonesia is also planning to build a new airport on the island of Bali in a bid to boost tourism in the country. Jakarta International Airport (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport) is currently Indonesia’s main airport providing connections to the country’s popular touristic island Although the world’s major airlines like Emirates, KLM, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines operate direct flights from their hubs to Bali, there are currently no non-stop service from the U.S. and France to the island.Travelers from Paris planning to fly to Bali mostly transit in Thailand’s capital Bangkok. American tourists likewise have to transit in a city that provides a direct connection to the island. Tourists spend much more money in transit countries, which limits their holiday budget, according to Garuda President.

“So if we plan to open a new flight route, we will focus on, for example, flights from Paris to Bali directly,” said the airline President.He continued to state: “We’ll also fit the schedule to accommodate tourists with morning arrivals and evening departures, so they can spend most of their time on the island.”Indonesian authorities say that American and European tourists’ spending powers are far greater than tourists from some other countries and they also stay longer, on average 2 weeks. Therefore, Garuda Indonesia intends to schedule flights that can attract tourists who will potentially bring in more revenue for Bali tourism.In the future, we will focus on more direct flights from and to Bali and with a suitable time for tourists to land before noon and depart at night so that they can spend their funds between check-out from the hotel and departure at the airport,” said the airline President.

Tourism, the most important source of revenue and foreign exchange in Bali, has been hit hard by pandemic-related travel restrictions and lockdowns. During the pre-pandemic period, more than 4 million tourists visited the island annually. Bali International Airport saw an approximately 100% slump in international tourist arrivals in May compared to the same period last year, according to Bali statistics bureau data.The Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia suspended flight operations in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline was forced to ground 100 of its 142 aircraft, resulting in a 70% reduction in flights. The Indonesian Government also banned all commercial flights and foreigners from entering the country in a bid to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The airline resumed domestic flights on May 7 after the Indonesian Government eased the flight restrictions. The ban on international flights was also lifted with strict regulations in June.Travelers flying to Bali have to present a COVID-19 PCR test with negative results or undergo a test at the airport. Passengers who take the test at the airport also have to undergo a quarantine while waiting for the result at locations set by Indonesian authorities.

Garuda Indonesia Bali flights

Source : https://airlinegeeks.com/

Bali hotels ready welcoming international travellers again, according to the Bali Hotels Association’s (BHA) Government Relations Director, Fransiska Handoko.. Waiting on the government’s go-ahead, travel bubbles and a lack of domestic tourists are the overriding concerns for a Bali travel industry trying to battle through the COVID pandemic according to key leading speakers at the recent ‘Bali Tourism The Way Back’ virtual event organized by Delivering Asia Communications and C9 Hotelworks together with the Bali Hotels Association and Horwath HTL.Fielding questions from respected travel journalist Mimi Hudoyo, TTG Asia’s Editor Indonesia, Handoko was candid about the efforts of BHA members and their responses to the catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused more disruption to the island’s main industry than previous crisis.

However, Handoko pointed out, despite preparations by the island’s hospitality businesses, it is the responsibility of the Bali’s provincial government to make the final ruling. “Our members are more than ready to reopen, with hotels continuing training programmes and maintaining standard operating procedures. We are ready to welcome guests but the decision must come from the government.”

Speaking on Bali’s interest in creating travel bubbles with China, South Korea, Japan and Australia, Handoko said, “Bali and Indonesia are ready for travel bubbles. However, the rest of the world still sees Indonesia as a high-risk country, so these plans are still in the discussion stage. It may be more logical to form travel bubbles within ASEAN because of the shorter travel times. But we are still observing how the situation will evolve. One of the event highlights was an ‘on-the-ground’ hotel perspective from Emily Subrata, Director, Sudamala Resorts and Lucienne Anhar, Co-Owner and Managing Director, Tugu Hotels & Restaurants, who discussed the different methods hotel owners have used to counter the during the pandemic. See full interview here:

Bali hotels ready welcoming

Source :  https://www.hospitalitynet.org

Bali Tourism reopening demanded

Indonesia aims to attract 3.5 million Chinese tourists next year .

Bali Tourism reopening demanded by travel agencies as most of its members only have financial capability to weather the crisis until July. The plea comes following the government’s decision to maintain travel restrictions on the tourist-packed island. The Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) of Bali expected the government to finish the new normal protocol stipulation by the end of the month and reopen the island to tourists by July to prevent travel companies from collapsing.Tour operators haven’t earned any income since March and we can only last until July. Therefore, we expect Bali to be open really soon,” ASITA Bali secretary I Putu Winastra said during an online discussion held by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry on June 18.

The Association of Indonesian Travel Agencies expected the government to finish the new normal protocol stipulation by the end of the month and reopen the island to tourists by July

Putu fears that the collapse of travel agencies would not only cause massive layoffs but also affect the island’s economy, as 80 percent of Bali’s economy comes from tourism and its related industries. Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport accounts for 63 percent of foreign tourist visits using through air gates, and 38 percent of overall foreign tourist visits in 2019, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show. National COVID-19 task force chief Doni Monardo on June 17 said that both the agency and Bali’s local administration agreed not to reopen Bali in the near future, amid the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Bali’s provincial administration also recently reported an increasing number of local COVID-19 transmissions on the island, The result of our discussions with several regional leaders, including the Bali governor, was that we have decided not to open Bali yet,” Doni said in a hearing with House of Representatives Commission X overseeing tourism. Bali’s provincial administration also recently reported an increasing number of local COVID-19 transmissions on the island, causing the government to ban activities involving large groups of people, including traditional and religious activities.The island had recorded 1,080 cases as of Monday, ranking 11th in provinces across the archipelago, with nine deaths and 615 recoveries. That compares with 46,845 COVID-19 cases across Indonesia on Monday, with 150 dead and 18,735 recovered.

Bali fears that the collapse of tourism could affect 80 % the island’s economy

The Tourism Ministry’s director for tourism marketing Vinsensius Jemadu said the government was taking a cautious stance and had set strict standards before deciding to reopen tourist destinations and the country’s borders.
“We have to take careful considerations and require strict standards when we try to open our borders. We also require our provinces and islands to pass the requirements [before reopening],” he said.
Even if the government decided to reopen Bali and welcome back tourists, there are still other challenges facing travel agencies on the island, an expert warned.

The government is aiming to create “travel bubbles” with China, South Korea, Japan and Australia

A tourism expert at Thailand’s Thammasat University, Walter Jamieson, said travel agencies must be able to strike a delicate balance between letting their guests experiencing their vacation without fear of COVID-19 infection while also applying a strict protocol to protect them from the virus.There’s always a tension for travel destinations between appearing too regulated and maintaining safety. People want to have a good time and not think about handwashing and whatnot during a vacation, but we have to follow all health and safety protocols” he said during the discussion. The government is aiming to create “travel bubbles” with China, South Korea, Japan and Australia to attract travelers and businesspeople, despite COVID-19 infections nationwide showing no signs of slowing down.The term “travel bubble” or “travel corridor” refers to an agreement in which countries that are successfully containing the outbreak can open their borders to each other to allow free movement within the bubble.

Bali Tourism reopening demanded

Source : https://www.thejakartapost.com/

Lion Air resumes flights from June 10 th 2020 only for domestic scheduled passenger services and fulfil  the requirements needed to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Published and circulated circular letter No. 7 year 2020 concerning the criteria of the travel requirements of persons in the period of adaptation of new habits to the productive and safe Society Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), rearranging the conditions to be fulfilled by each prospective passenger when traveling by airplane, which is simpler. According to the circular letter, prospective passengers only need proof of health tests such as PCR or Rapid Test and or medical certificate.

For the prospective passengers of Lion Air Group who will travel from 10 June 2020 to notice the following things:

If the health test is used Rapid Test, then the validity period is 3 days, or if the health test is used Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), then the validity period is 7 days, or
If both of the above test methods are not available in the original area, then the prospective passengers should get influenza symptom-free certificate such (influenza-like illness) from a hospital doctor/Puskesmas.
Therefore, Lion Air Group passengers pay attention to the validity period of the medical documents.

Lion Air Group requires and asks prospective passengers to comply with Lion Air Group’s terms of flight, such as:

Arriving early at the departure terminal four (4) hours before departure. Domestic Lion Air Group
flights remain at Terminal 2E and internationally at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport, Tangerang. For other airports operating remained in the same terminal.
Show valid ID card (KTP or other ID),
Wearing mask before the flight, while on the plane until landing and on arrival and exit from the airport,
Wash your hands with soap or use a hand sanitizer,
Following the secure distance rules (physical distancing) in the airport terminal,
Maintaining cleanliness while on board,
Follow the flight crew directions.
To the prospective passengers can buy tickets (issued ticket), such as:

Lion Air Group’s head office and ticket sales branch office in all cities in Indonesia,
Lion Air Group Official site www.lionair.co.id ; www.batikair.com ,
The mobile apps of Lion Air and Batik Air (the purchase of Wings Air tickets can also be accessed through the website and application),Customer contact Service (call center) 021-6379 8000 and 0804-177-8899,
Travel Agency Partners (travel tour) and Online Travel Agent (OTA).
The flight implementation of Lion Air Group is still running health protocol, with the expectation that every operation fulfill the elements of safety, security (safety first) and in an effort does not lead to the spread of Covid-19.

Lion Air resumes flights

http://lionair.co.id/

Citilink airline resumes flights with new normal procedures serving 104 flights following the government’s decision to apply the new normal procedures, as of June 1, 2020. Citilink resumes its services, with 104 regular flights to 21 cities by implementing the new normal procedures and continuing to prioritize the aspects of passenger safety, health, and comfort,” Citilink President Director Juliandra noted in a statement here on Tuesday. During the pre-flight phase, Citilink worked in close collaboration with the Port Health Office (KKP) and the local Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Response at each airport to inspect and verify the completeness of passenger documents. Citilink has ensured that air passengers are in good health by necessitating them to present a COVID-19-free certificate issued on the basis of results of PCR test or rapid tests.Citilink has also made preparations to ascertain that proper distancing is maintained between passengers queuing for check-in and provided web check-in facilities or a self-check-in machine at the airport. Citilink implements a new boarding management practice to adjust the distance in a queue during the boarding process to avoid passenger congestion. Citilink applies new standards aboard flights by adjusting the seating arrangements. Furthermore, all passengers and crew are required to always wear masks, and the airline has provided hand sanitizers.Other arrangements entail the process of serving food and beverages by following hygienic procedures and replacing printed inflight magazines with electronic inflight magazines. Citilink has made preparations to adjust the distance during baggage collection in the area of arrival by conducting continued inspection and matching procedures for the checked baggage. In order to maintain aircraft cabin cleanliness and sterilization, Citilink also disinfects all aircraft operating daily in accordance with the applicable procedures and provides the fleet with a High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (HEPA) air filter system to filter out dust and various air pollutants, including viruses and bacteria. Citilink will continue to conduct intensive coordination with all relevant stakeholders and conduct strict supervision across all lines of the company’s operations to provide the best possible service by prioritizing passenger comfort and health.

Citilink airline resumes flights

Source : https://en.antaranews.com/