Open letter to President Joko Widodo

BALI, Bisniswisata.co.id: Taking the opportunity to visit the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo in Bali, the members of GIPI Bali, supported by the Main Council of Traditional Villages of Bali, delivered an open letter saying that a year had passed. been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. An open letter dated March 15, 2021, gently pasted on the Instagram page of industry players in Ubud.

Its content includes: the certainty of opening Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport to international travelers via direct flight and the authorization to carry out the quarantine in Bali (as access to the second international traveler outside Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Jakarta).

Bali program opens Free Covid Corridor / Travel Safe Corridor, program for the entry of foreign travelers (country of origin with reciprocal agreements) who use

plane charter The following travel packages have clear activities and accommodations, with the implementation of policies (travelers have been vaccinated, Rapid antigen and quarantine) on arrival in Bali.

The application for the issuance of a visit visa (business / tourism) is made easier for potential international travelers. Given the great potential for recovery from the high trend responsible travelers, This is The travellers who have been vaccinated and belong to quality tourism (worry about sustainability, ecosystem local community). The results of the GIPI mapping show that responsible tourist the majority are from UK, Germany, US, UAE, Japan, China and Turkey. Historical data shows that foreign tourists from these countries also length of stay and expenses Power a big.

GIPI members also demanded that the low rate loan policy for tourism actors and businesses in Bali be approved immediately (it has been submitted to the central government). Grants for tourism companies and actors, in addition to hotels and restaurants in Bali, also for tourist attraction activities and travel agents.

GIPI understands that when the country pays attention to trying to open the door to foreign tourists in Bali and officially opening the green zone for foreign tourists, destinations in other countries have moved forward. Competitors from Indonesia (Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam) have rapidly evolved to work in the foreign tourism market. So that the acceleration of the policies and strategies conveyed has the opportunity to accelerate the economic recovery in the tourism sector with a minimum of health risks.

GIPI hopes that the president can guide the industry not to spoil this opportunity. And ready to work together to be at the forefront of economic recovery and public health. After the preparation program of the tourist green zone of Bali, vaccination of the population and

tourism workers, preparation of applications traceand CHSE certification, the industry hopes Bali can be opened to foreign tourists as soon as possible.

When?

The pressure on the government to make immediate decisions and provide certainty to the industry is not without reason. In the SAKIRA (Time to Talk) webinar hosted by ASITA 71 Bali on the topic “When will Bali open the border?”, Recently, a data study emerged, the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients and cured, the number of treatments and deaths. It shows an improving trend which means that the management of the pandemic is more conducive. Why don’t we just open our “border”? So that Bali’s economy does not worsen?

In response to this, Bali’s Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati (Cok Ace) explained that the government already has a program Free COVID corridor (FCC), as a step to open travel restrictions. As a member of the state, the deputy governor also recalled that there was an interest in the provisions of the state.

“We cannot act to open quickly border. Although the number is small, it is important that there is an economic movement, it requires the patience of 98% of the people who obey the health program. The highlight is foreign nationals failed in Bali, the behavior of “transgression” was extraordinary. The government has discussed with the ambassadors of foreign countries in Indonesia whether Bali will impose strict sanctions, deportations and bans on foreign nationals who violate pranks, ”the deputy governor said in response to a question from one. advisers from ASITA71 Bali, Al Purwa.

SAKIRA is a program tourism dialogue DPD ASITA71 Bali, which should be able to provide update information from both the market side and the product side of travel agency and travel agency services in Bali. According to the president of ASITA 71 Bali Putu Winastra through tourism dialogue ASITA 71 members obtain current tourism performance and disseminate it to related parties. SAKIRA is presented as a forum for discussion between tourism stakeholders, the government and stakeholders related to tourism development as well as the stages of stakeholders in tourism development in Bali.

During the first SAKIRA webinar, the Secretary of the COVID-19 Management Working Group in Bali introduced the Secretary Made Rentin, the Marketing Manager of the Bali Provincial Tourism Board Ida Ayu Indah Yustikarini, the CEO of Garuda Indonesia Bali NUSRA, Dewa Rai and Head of Immigration Division of Provincial Ministry of Law and Security Affairs in Bali, I did Sukrayasa. Active monitoring by 71 ASITA members, tourism observers and monitoring by 35 seller and 35 Buyer participants We Love Bali table top which took place at the Stala Ubud hotel.

And Deputy Governor Cok Ace as main speaker explained that the FCC program is to enable foreign tourists who have completed the implementation of the vaccine in their country. “The target of foreign tourists are Chinese tourists, we know that the country has managed to emerge from the pandemic thanks to a successful vaccination program. So we can bring them, ”he explained.

However, there are several requirements that must be met by the destination countries, in this case in particular Bali. “First, we need to reach 75% of the population, especially tourism stakeholders, to be vaccinated,” he said.

According to him, it is the first task of the current government to complete the vaccination in Bali as quickly as possible, especially for workers in the tourism sector. Another requirement is a health facility similar to the home country, namely China. “We also have to prepare for that, at least our facilities have to be the same. It is therefore believed that the country allows its citizens to go to Bali, ”he explained.

The deputy governor stressed that the discipline over the COVID-19 health protocol is one of the important things to consider if you want to open it. border. He admits that he is grateful that Bali currently ranks second in obedience to health programs with a rate of 98.3% below West Kalimantan at 98.6%, as an asset to convince the international community that Bali is indeed ready to welcome international tourists.

“In the past, we sold nature, customs and culture. Now we are going a little beyond these three things. We have to be able to convince the international community if the government and society have really implemented the program correctly and correctly, ”he said.*