“Please come back”: Bali’s plea over pandemic fallout
Before the world was struck with Covid-19, Bali was a thriving holiday hotspot for millions of global travellers each year.
The sandy beaches and bustling nightlife saw more than 1.3 million Australians descend on Bali in 2019 alone, injecting billions into the local economy.
However, two years later, the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the Indonesian island, with local businesses struggling to survive.
The busy streets of Seminyak, which were once filled with boutiques and shops, are now dead and devoid of people.
Shop windows are boarded up, while other businesses have been abandoned all together.
An employee at a local jewellery shop, whose store was the only one open in the street, told news.com.au, that the past two years had “not been good”.
“We barely see anybody, it’s so quiet. Nothing is open. Most of the people I know haven’t been able to work. We are one of the only places that managed to stay open,” she said.
A local tour guide said she had spent the last years of the pandemic doing whatever she could to survive, by making snacks and selling them to local shops.
“Please, please come back to Bali,” she said.
“We are ready for Aussies.”
The guide also asked travellers to be patient and understanding of the Balinese people when they return for holidays.
“Before the pandemic, the shops would charge maybe four or five times the price but now they’re not. They know they need to build that trust and relationship back with the Aussies so you can barter a little bit but please don’t do it too much,” she said.
On March 15th, the first flight from Australia to Bali was packed full of eager travellers, with the people of Bali welcoming tourists back to their home to reinvigorate their economy.
Image credits: Getty Images