‘Clean’ tourists only welcome in Bali.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, has sparked controversy after hinting that backpackers are not welcome in Bali when the island reopens.
Speaking to local reporters during a visit to the island, Pandjaitan said: “We have prepared everything. When will we open? It depends on the country [of origin]. Not all countries, so [depending] on which country and when we are ready. I think it’s possible in Level 2.”
The minister went on to say that the popular island only wants quality tourists when it reopens to international visitors.
“We will filter tourists that come visit. We don’t want backpackers to come so that Bali remains clean, where the people who come are of quality.”
Pandjaitan’s comments will come as a blow to grounded backpackers dreaming of traveling once more in the near future.
Bali has long been viewed as one of, if not the definitive backpacker hotspots for decades, attracting shoestring budgeted travellers from all around the world.
Bali is currently categorized as Level 4, which carries the tightest set of restrictions, though the province is likely to level down very soon and welcome international tourists as early as November.
At present, travel is only permitted to Bali for domestic travellers.
A spokesman from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment has since tried to downplay Pandjaitan’s statement, saying that what the minister really meant was a prohibition for visitors who violate health protocols and immigration laws.
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