Voice of America
23 Jan 2023, 02:36 GMT+10
Denpasar, Indonesia - A direct flight from China landed in Indonesia's resort island of Bali for the first time in nearly three years Sunday after the route was suspended due to the pandemic.
At least 210 people were on board the chartered plane operated by Indonesia's Lion Air from Shenzhen in China's southern Guangdong province.
Some Chinese tourists who arrived at the airport in Bali said they were glad to have the chance to travel internationally again after China ended its strict COVID-19 restrictions.
"I feel very happy and relaxed. It was a long time we did not go abroad," said An Pei, a Chinese tourist who was on the flight.
The flight followed the Chinese government's decision to lift travel restrictions announced January 8 and it coincided with the start of the Lunar New Year, which was being marked Sunday.
The Shenzhen-to-Bali route will operate once a week during its initial phase, according to a statement from Danang Mandala Prihantoro, a spokesperson for Lion Air.
Indonesia is targeting 255,000 tourists from China in 2023. Indonesia recorded 94,924 visits from China from January to October 2022. More than 2 million tourists from China visited Indonesia each year before the pandemic.
The return of Chinese tourists is expected to support the overall target of foreign tourist arrivals this year. Indonesia aims to record 3.5 million to 7.4 million foreign visits, said Sandiaga Uno, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, in a statement Friday. China is one of the largest markets for inbound tourism in Indonesia.
"Based on online travel agent data in China, there has been an increase in search volume for overseas tourist destinations by 430%. Indonesia is in the top 5 searches and Bali's search volume has increased by 250%," Uno said.
Indonesia's government is exploring ways to attract more Chinese tourists, including the possibility of direct flights from three main cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Get a daily dose of Travel Trade news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Travel Trade.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday with all the major indices gaining ground. Markets in the UK, Europe and Canada...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
PARIS, France: A strike by French air traffic controllers demanding improved working conditions caused significant disruptions during...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government has granted GE Aerospace permission to resume jet engine shipments to China's COMAC, a person...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the preliminary report into the tragic...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting on the rejuvenation of the Yamuna...