Great news for Filipinos who have been itching to quench their travel thirst for the past years as Indonesia re-opens its borders to international tourists. This means that you can now again enjoy the sun and pristine beaches of Indonesia, including Bali — which is an all-time favorite summer hotspot for many vacationers, including Pinoys.
In an effort to further bolster the country’s reopening, 43 countries have been granted Visa on Arrival (VOA), including 15 countries in the APAC region. As for Filipino tourists, visiting Bali and Indonesia is a lot easier as Philippine passport holders can enter and stay in the country for 30 days, Visa-free!
Under these new border and quarantine guidelines (updated on 6 April 2022), fully-vaccinated travelers can now enjoy quarantine-free travel to Indonesia. Guests will need to present a negative PCR test result within 48 hours prior to departure, and then are free to roam, explore and travel to other parts of Indonesia with no need for additional tests. All foreign visitors will need to present proof of health insurance, which includes coverage of COVID-19 medical treatments.
“The introduction of quarantine-free, test-only border openings and the introductions of Visa on Arrival for additional countries is a great initiative that aims to help bring back tourists, such as Filipinos to Bali and Indonesia. Our data shows that Bali remains an inspiring destination for many looking for that combination of beach, culture and beautiful scenery. At Agoda, we will strive to be a supportive partner to the communities we operate in and continue to work with local authorities to help provide a simplified and hassle-free experience for our customers across their booking journey,” said Gede Gunawan, Senior Country Director, Agoda, Indonesia.
Meanwhile, following this announcement, digital travel platform Agoda has also seen a surge in searches for Bali from neighboring markets, keen to return to one of the region’s most popular beach destinations.
Bali ranked the top search destination in Indonesia, while the entire country ranked third as a destination in Asia, following closely behind Thailand and Philippines. Agoda’s data also shows searches from Bali’s top five international origins markets, namely Australia, United States, Singapore, United Kingdom, and South Korea respectively, with the highest search increase from Australia (220%) and Singapore (200%).
A look at Agoda’s searches since Indonesia’s reopening provides an interesting glimpse into the preferences of international travelers. Representative of the diverse experiences offered in the Island of Gods, travelers rated a mix of lively, popular spots of Kuta (#1) and Seminyak (#3) interspersed with the quiet lush greenery of Ubud (#2) and the more luxurious watersport haven of Nusa Dua (#4) emerging as their top spots searched to stay.
“Pristine beaches and the unique culture and charm of Bali are undoubtedly luring many Filipinos and other international travelers back. Whether visitors are a half-day flight away or just a couple hours to the island, many still consider Bali as a paradise vacation destination and look to get back there as soon as they are able to,” added Gunawan.