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Backpackers will be allowed to enter Bali, the Indonesian government has clarified, after a senior minister had reportedly said otherwise.

Senior minister: Backpackers not allowed

Previously, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, had said on Sep. 10 that the country "won't allow backpackers to enter once the reopening plan for international travellers is officially put in place in the near future", the Bali Sun reported.

The reason cited was that they were aiming for "quality tourism" in the resort island, a popular destination in Southeast Asia for backpackers.

He hadn't elaborated further on what the government meant by "quality tourism", or how they were planning to define "backpackers".

While the news was initially received negatively by foreigners, some pointed out that certain developed countries have been imposing rules requiring tourists to prove that they have healthy bank accounts before their visas were approved.

Seeing lots of outrage on this from ppl who've never had to show 3 mo bank statements as 'proof of funds' to apply for a visa. Barring poor tourists is a bad idea but not a new one. Western countries have been filtering 'quality' visitors for far longer. https://t.co/ucUUzrc0ku

— Sana Jaffrey (@sdjaffrey) September 13, 2021

Comments a "misunderstanding"

Luhut's spokesperson later said in a statement shared with the media that his comments were a "misunderstanding", according to Lonely Planet.

The minister had meant that "visitors who violate health rules and regulations, laws and immigration regulations in Indonesia" will not be allowed to enter the country.

Indonesia has recently announced that it may reopen its borders to tourists who are fully vaccinated and test negatively for Covid-19.

Should new Covid-19 cases continue to drop, and signs point to the country having the pandemic under control, then foreign tourists might be allowed to return to Bali and other parts of Indonesia, Luhut said at a press conference on Sep. 17, The Jakarta Post reported.

Travellers from countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand are being considered to be accepted first, he added.

Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had also said on Sep. 14 that the country plans to accept travellers in November once 70 per cent of its target population have received at least one vaccine dose, Reuters reported.

Indonesia had previously planned to reopen Bali to foreign tourists in early 2021, but abandoned its plans when the country experienced a second wave caused by the highly contagious Delta variant.

Top image via Gonzalo Azumendi/Getty Images

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