Health protocols key to welcome tourists: President

Once again, we are open to tourists from anywhere. Most of them come from China. The most important thing is the implementation of health protocols.

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Health protocol implementation at tourist destinations is the most important aspect in welcoming foreign tourists, including travelers arriving from China, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said.

“Once again, we are open to tourists from anywhere. Most of them come from China. The most important thing is the implementation of health protocols,” he stated during a visit to the Bunaken Tourism Area in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Friday.

The head of state noted that the Chinese authorities are screening citizens who wish to travel abroad.

“So we do not need to worry,” he emphasized.

In addition, the President said he hopes that all countries and tourist destinations will recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, tourism recovery in Indonesia has shown promising results given the increasing number of foreign tourists visiting Bali.

“We hope that it will return to normal as soon as possible to help all tourist destinations recover from the pandemic,” he remarked.

The President further said he believes that the level of immunity in Indonesia, which is pegged at 98.5, is sufficiently high to receive foreign tourists.

Therefore, there are no restrictions such as mandatory isolation for Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia, he explained.

According to him, in early February 2023, there will be many foreign tourists, especially from China, visiting Manado.

From January 8, Chinese authorities have allowed their citizens to go abroad for various purposes. From the same day, they have also exempted international travelers from quarantine obligations upon arrival in China.

The policy is a form of easing or relaxation after almost three years of the country strictly implementing a zero COVID-19 policy that prevented local residents from freely traveling abroad.

However, several countries such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and members of the European Union have imposed restrictions on the arrival of Chinese citizens since China is considered to not be transparent in reporting the latest COVID-19 developments.

China, in turn, has accused those countries of being discriminatory and has launched retaliatory action against Japan and South Korea by not granting visit visas to their nationals.

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