Kelly Slater and Betet Merta, Padang, September, 2020.

Indonesian island Bali to re-open for foreign tourism “early in new year” in desperate bid to revive collapsed economy, stem mass unemployment!

Dark cloud about to lift from the island of the Gods.

Empty streets. Shuttered stores. Families ruined. Bali in 2020 ain’t an island filled with optimism.

A twelve-billion dollar a year tourist industry, sixty-percent of its GDP, evaporated. What terrorist bombings and hundreds of dead tourists couldn’t achieve almost twenty years ago, a mysterious virus has.

In September, eighty-three…yeah, eighty-three, tourists got into Bali, a 99.986% drop from the previous year.

Come for a little stroll down Jalan Legian, the main drag that runs north-south from Kuta to Seminyak. Gone are the machine-gun staccato of scooters, the quack of a thousand klaxons, the throaty gargle of tourists retching into Hindu offerings.

Fifteen bucks gets you a hotel room, fifty cents dinner.

Charity groups put the unemployment rate at eighty percent, a little different to the Indonesian government’s seven-and-a-half.

Babies fed water instead of formula, families relying on not-for-profit groups to survive.

Originally, Bali had planned to open the island to foreign tourists on September 11 but was revised when COVID lit up, again, worldwide.

But, now, after an inspection by a delegation from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the island may open to foreign tourists as early as January.

UN WTO Asia and Pacific director Harry Hwang said the island was ready to re-open, safety protocols ready and “excellent, if not the best there are,” he told the Jakarta Post.

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26 Comments
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Omong Gosong

If ya comin’ this way be aware, Java and most of Indo are covid cesspits.

Frontwards Fin Frank

The bright side was that the streets around Legian all didn’t smell of vomit in the morning? Or does all that happen in Canggu now? Be the first tourist to vomit off some arak / bintang combo next year and be sure to take a picture like the first people getting vaccines do.

T J

They need to follow Hawaii’s footsteps and require a negative Covid test 72 hours prior to take off. It’s working for Hawaii – they maintained low Covid cases while improving their economy

Hippy

Youtube videos…. daily reports, can’t remember the address, but they show Canguu, Ulu, Keramas every day, no narrative just ambient audio.

I watch after a few beers.

The crowds are profound. No way there aren’t tourists visiting OR there are so many haoles living there it’s ridiculous. Saw a clip of Ulu with so many people getting in the way.

Keramas is more crowded than Lowers and all cauc’s.

Kook Dahanamoku

Surfers Of Bali – SOB.

SlickSaintNik

Only 83 tourists went in September? I feel like I follow all of them on Instagram

Ricky Spanish

Some many missed happy endings. At least the massage girls had a break to let their carpal tunnel heal.

G____j

It’s already open if you have 6 mill for an e-visa

peter zedaK

Everyone’s jobs are essential. Hell, I have a pension from a Union job I had for 5 years, an organization that truly honors labor. That being said, an essential person I need to see when I’m struggling to survive Covid-19 is not my local contractor, licensed or not.
The shit show will not end for anyone unless they’re vaccinated.
A bright note is that the die-off of anti-vaxcer’s will mean a positive jump in the general IQ!

84092, 92673

Thank Trump!!

Tom

Imagine the crime tho as tourists re-enter. May be a 15 dollar meal and room but you will be taken for more re other stuff
Imagine the grifting going on and the hassles to but tshits and general trinkets !!!!! Fuck me, you would want to help be fucking carnage there tho!!!

Kook Dahanamoku

They might re-open, but will anyone be able to go without having to factor in a long quarantine upon return? And let’s be honest, Covid ain’t the worst thing you can pick up in Bali.

Dick Simmons

Everyones jobs are essential. Everyone needs to go back to work. This whole shit show needs to end.

Chief Hot stuff

Some shameful shit.
The most piss weak group of humans in the whole of history

Brutus

unless you looked in a mirror!

Chief Hot stuff

Still waiting you weak cunt

Return of the Samsung Board

Hahaha HELL YEAH let’s set this up in a Hungry Jack’s Carpark

Chief Hot stuff

I just wanna walk across the road.
I’m not putting myself out for that grub.

Brutus

c’mon bexette you can do it…admit you aren’t in lockdown because youse a western suburbs boy fiddler!

Owen Wright's Brains

hhmmm….freud… oh, freud! you might want to look at this..

Brutus

dear racist cunt ,homophobic cunt ,white supremacist who loves little proud boys ….you said you found me in 5 mins so come over ….but there’s a lock down on the Northern Beaches , so how do you get from the western suburbs to the coast?
be nice bexette as reality is stranger than fiction….LOL

Chief Hot stuff

Seriously just kill yself cunt

Brutus

oh you big bully , on a forum telling some one to kill themselves , of dear where are the mods when you need one……….ah bully on regardless and Merry Xmas Bex!

Return of the Samsung Board

Can you two compete via anti depressive articles

84092, 92673

So true. All former humans look at the ones alive now and think, ‘well this is truly the weakest and dumbest (lazy too) of all history….at least we weren’t like them….’.

Gumby's Left Nut

Especially when you see who is profiteering from the shitshow


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