Indonesia pushes for Bali bubble with Australia

Indonesia is negotiating to establish a travel bubble with Australia when Bali’s borders open next month.

A near-empty beach in Kuta on Indonesia's resort island of Bali in March when the pandemic began to affect tourism. Picture: AFP

Indonesia is prepared to welcome back Australian tourists as early as next month when Bali reopens its borders to international visitors and is negotiating with Canberra to make that happen, a senior minister says.

Luhut Pandjaitan, the Co-ordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, said Indonesia was keen to establish a travel bubble with Australia, one of only a few countries that it considered safe.

“We have to carefully selected (countries), so I think Australia, New Zealand later on, China, of course, and maybe South Korea and Japan. We are studying day by day,” Mr Luhut told the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents’ Club in an online discussion on Monday night.

“Right now we negotiate with Australia. We will see what happens, what they need from us and what we need from them. We need to negotiate standard of care because nobody can claim they’re better than others.

“I disagree when people say this country is better than your country. Look at America now. Look at Singapore.

“In Jakarta, in Indonesia in general, quite OK, but we have to be careful. If everybody is disciplined then we can much reduce the impact of COVID-19. That’s the key, because we don’t have medicine to cure this disease today.”

Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s Co-ordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment. Picture: Graham Crouch

Notwithstanding Indonesia’s enthusiasm, there seems little hope of an Australia-Indonesia travel bubble any time this year, given the federal government’s determination to keep Australia’s borders closed and keep most Australians from leaving.

Indonesia has seen a rise in daily infection rates in recent weeks, despite relatively low testing levels, as has its capital, Jakarta, where hospitals are again filling with new cases, which are averaging about 550 a day.

Yet the country has been gradually reopening to kickstart an economy that experienced its sharpest contraction in the second quarter since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, which led to deadly riots and the downfall of the 32-year Suharto regime.

The resort island of Bali reopened to domestic tourists on July 31, immediately sparking about 4000 additional arrivals a day, and its provincial government is scheduled to reopen the borders to international tourism on September 11.

But Mr Luhut’s comments indicated that may not be a fixed timetable and that decisions would be made following discussions with select countries in coming weeks.

The Indonesian government has barred most international visitors, except those with residency permits, from entering the country since March.

Australia Indonesia Business Council president Phil Turtle said a travel bubble between

the countries was “a great ambition to have when the correct protocols and

health situation is such that we are in a position to do that”.

“We would certainly view it positively if and when it can be implemented … but

(Australians) can’t even travel internally at the moment,” he said.

“I would think it would be very unlikely to happen before the end of the year but it would

be wonderful if it did happen.”