Indonesia announces safe travel corridor for visitors from Singapore to enter Batam and Bintan
Writer: Kiki Siregar
JAKARTA: Indonesia is opening a safe travel corridor allowing people from Singapore to travel to Batam and Bintan, said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto on Monday (Jan 24).
Speaking in a virtual press conference, Mr Hartarto said the Indonesian government decided to establish the travel bubble since the COVID-19 cases in Batam and Bintan are now under control.
“The government is pushing for a travel bubble between Batam, Bintan and Singapore to encourage tourism activities in Batam, Bintan,” said Mr Hartarto.
He added that the entry points will be Nongsapura ferry terminal in Batam and Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal in Bintan.
“The requirements for travellers are they must be vaccinated twice, and have a negative PCR test taken within three days (prior to travel),” said Mr Hartarto.
Travellers must also have insurance worth S$30,000 and use the Indonesian COVID-19 tracing programmes PeduliLindungi and Blue Pass.
At the same press conference, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan said that the travel bubble will be evaluated every week. “If we think it is good, we continue. If not, we stop," he said.
The two Indonesian ministers did not elaborate on the quarantine and other testing requirements of the safe travel corridor. They also did not specify when will this travel bubble start.
Without tourists from Singapore, Bintan's resorts get creative to make ends meet amid COVID-19.
At that time, Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran said that the VTL with Indonesia would be unilateral for the moment since the latter had remained closed to general travel.
“We hope that Indonesia will likewise soon reopen its borders to travellers from Singapore,” he said then.
On Nov 16, a statement by the Indonesian foreign ministry wrote that both foreign ministers “agreed to continue discussions on VTL arrangements bilaterally (reciprocally)”.
The next Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat will be held in Bintan on Tuesday.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-singapore-travel-bubble-batam-bintan-2455481
JAKARTA: Indonesia is opening a safe travel corridor allowing people from Singapore to travel to Batam and Bintan, said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto on Monday (Jan 24).
Speaking in a virtual press conference, Mr Hartarto said the Indonesian government decided to establish the travel bubble since the COVID-19 cases in Batam and Bintan are now under control.
“The government is pushing for a travel bubble between Batam, Bintan and Singapore to encourage tourism activities in Batam, Bintan,” said Mr Hartarto.
He added that the entry points will be Nongsapura ferry terminal in Batam and Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal in Bintan.
“The requirements for travellers are they must be vaccinated twice, and have a negative PCR test taken within three days (prior to travel),” said Mr Hartarto.
Travellers must also have insurance worth S$30,000 and use the Indonesian COVID-19 tracing programmes PeduliLindungi and Blue Pass.
At the same press conference, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan said that the travel bubble will be evaluated every week. “If we think it is good, we continue. If not, we stop," he said.
The two Indonesian ministers did not elaborate on the quarantine and other testing requirements of the safe travel corridor. They also did not specify when will this travel bubble start.
Without tourists from Singapore, Bintan's resorts get creative to make ends meet amid COVID-19.
At that time, Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran said that the VTL with Indonesia would be unilateral for the moment since the latter had remained closed to general travel.
“We hope that Indonesia will likewise soon reopen its borders to travellers from Singapore,” he said then.
On Nov 16, a statement by the Indonesian foreign ministry wrote that both foreign ministers “agreed to continue discussions on VTL arrangements bilaterally (reciprocally)”.
The next Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat will be held in Bintan on Tuesday.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-singapore-travel-bubble-batam-bintan-2455481
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