In meantime, regional CEO for Greater Jakarta Region at PT Garuda Indonesia, M. Yansverio, echoed airline’s readiness to support industry and government in developing tourism in Bali once government decides to reopen area for tourism.
“To welcome new normal, Garuda Indonesia has applied protocols of cleanliness, health, and safety (CHS) and explained about requirements that must be met by air travelers,” he informed.
In meantime, Chairman of People Consultative Assembly (MPR), Bambang Soesatyo, has urged government to review its visa exemption policy for tourists to prevent mass spread of COVID-19 infections once tourism sector reopens.
The visa-free policy must be reviewed, particularly for countries prone to COVID-19,” Soesatyo stated during a webinar recently.
Indonesia must strictly scrutinize foreign tourists and ensure they are free from novel coronavirus disease, he added.
In addition to Bali, other regions making preparations for tourism recovery comprise Aceh, Jakarta, Central Java, and North Sulawesi.
The tourism industry in Aceh Province is ready to embrace new normal amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Azwani Awi, chairperson of Indonesian Association of Tourism Businessmen (ASPPI) of Aceh branch, remarked.
Tourist destinations that have abided by requisite health protocols in new normal include an urban forest park in Langsa City that, in fact, reopened since Eid al-Fitr (May 24) after been closed since early March 2020.
To prevent transmission of COVID-19, park applies government-set health protocols that necessitate every visitor to wear a mask and maintain a safe distance from one another.
“Of course, every visitor undergoes body temperature screening. During this process, identity of visitors is checked. Thus, if there is a confirmed COVID-19 case, patient travel history can be tracked,” he expounded.
The Sabang municipality, Aceh, has also permitted to reopen its marine resor and resume operations of modes of sea transportation to Sabang on Weh Island by adhering to health protocols.
The decision was stipulated in Sabang Mayor Circular Letter No. 440/3111 on June 1, 2020, Bahru Fikri, Sabang municipality administrations spokesman, stated.
“Fast boats and ro-ro ferry operate one-round trip per day, with a maximum passenger limit of 50 percent of normal capacity of ship, and they must apply COVID-19 health protocols,” he explained.
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