Bali’s tourism industry will target tourists from neighboring countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam in the new normal. (ANTARA/ Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Communications Bureau)

The tourism industry in Bali is planning to target travelers from nearby countries, such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam, once the province is reopened for international visitors under the new normal protocols.

The industry and all stakeholders engaged in tourism and the creative economy in Bali are currently preparing for the new normalization of tourism by implementing hygiene, health, and safety protocols, said secretary of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Bali), I Putu Winastra, in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.

"The protocol will be applied to every tourism sector, including transportation, accommodation, restaurants, and all tourism objects," he informed.

The protocol has been prepared based on visitors’ travel profiles, and focuses on three things: cleanliness, health, and safety.

Under the protocol, tourists planning to visit Bali would have to carry some documents, including a statement declaring them COVID-19 free, their itinerary, and details of their arrival date.

There are also health protocols and standard operational procedures that would need to be enforced when tourists arrive at the airport, during their tour, right up till they fly back to their home countries.

In terms of market segmentation, I Putu Winastra said, countries closest to Indonesia, such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam, could become the mainstay for Bali's tourism once the province is opened to the international market.

"In the beginning, we will focus on the domestic market, but when the international market opens, we expect tourists from nearby countries, such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam," he said.

“And of course, Bali will not be entirely opened just yet. A pilot project is set for the Nusa Dua area," Winastra noted.

Meanwhile, regional CEO for the Greater Jakarta Region at PT Garuda Indonesia, M Yansverio, said Bali is a prime destination for Garuda Indonesia, both for domestic and international flights.

Garuda Indonesia is ready to support the industry and government in developing tourism in Bali, once the government decides to reopen the area for tourism, he added.

"To welcome the new normalcy, Garuda Indonesia has applied the protocols of Cleanliness, Health, and Safety (CHS), and explained the requirements that must be met by those traveling by airplane," he informed.

Deputy of marketing at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Nia Niscaya, said it is important to maintain confidence in Indonesia's image by conveying policies as well as latest information about tourist destinations in Indonesia, and help the tourism industries of Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar to maintain cooperative relations with Indonesia in face of the new normal.

"It is important for Indonesia to provide an update on tourism products to industries in Thailand and Indochina regarding what Indonesia has done to prepare tourist destinations to welcome returning foreign tourists in future," she said.

She further explained that the ministry has prepared a standard protocol as a guide for all tourism stakeholders in the CHS program.

"We hope that the tourism industry players in Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar get the picture in regard to the implementation of the new normal protocol, in this case, the CHS protocol, in Indonesia, especially Bali. That way, they can provide insights regarding the manufacture and sale of Indonesian tourism products in the future," she said. (ANTARA)