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Australia’s tourism minister reveals a long-awaited travel bubble could open with Bali ‘very soon’

Australia's tourism minister reveals a long-awaited travel bubble could open with Bali 'very soon' 2

Australia’s tourism minister reveals a long-awaited travel bubble could open with Bali ‘very soon’ – as a deal with Singapore reaches its final stages

  • Federal tourism minister said travel bubble with Bali could go ahead soon 
  • Dan Tehan said discussions were in progress about opening up travel corridor  
  • Qantas has already announced dates for flights to Fiji, Singapore and Thailand


Australians could very soon be back on the beach in Bali if a quarantine-free travel bubble being considered by the federal government goes ahead, Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has confirmed.

Mr Tehan said officials were in talks with Indonesia about re-opening travel between the two nations as Covid cases continue to fall in the south-east Asian country. 

‘The Covid situation on the ground in Bali is continuing to improve,’ he said during a question-and-answer discussion with Newscorp on Monday.

‘It’s obviously an incredibly popular destination for Australians in particular, and tourism is such a huge part of the Balinese economy so we will continue to have discussions.’ 

Aussies could very soon be back on the beach in Bali (pictured) if a travel corridor being discussed by both sides is given the green light

Aussies could very soon be back on the beach in Bali (pictured) if a travel corridor being discussed by both sides is given the green light

Indonesian beer Bintang is a favourite for tourists in Bali with beachside bottles for sale extremely cheaply (pictured: a woman enjoying the Indonesian lager)

Indonesian beer Bintang is a favourite for tourists in Bali with beachside bottles for sale extremely cheaply (pictured: a woman enjoying the Indonesian lager)

Mr Tehan said travel agreements with Japan and South Korea were also actively being considered by the Australian government.

‘We’re going to put something in place for Singaporeans in the next couple of weeks and my hope would be we could then look at Japan, South Korea and Bali as the next step in that direction,’ he said.

‘I think there’s a real pent-up demand for people to travel again.’ 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison already announced on Friday a travel corridor between Australia and Singapore was in its ‘final stages’ and could be unveiled in the next week. 

Massive demand for air travel has been triggered by the announcement Australia’s international border will open on November 1 in NSW.

Qantas has said they will restart flights between Sydney and Singapore on November 23, four weeks earlier this originally planned.

Dan Tehan (pictured) said Bali was one of a number of destinations where travel bubbles are being negotiated

Dan Tehan (pictured) said Bali was one of a number of destinations where travel bubbles are being negotiated

The airline will open a new route between Sydney and New Delhi on December 6 with three flights a week.

Sydney to Fiji will be brought forward to December 7 for four flights a week.

Qantas will fly from Sydney to Johannesburg three times a week from January 5, three months earlier than scheduled.

From January 14, the airline will resume its Sydney to Bangkok services more than two months earlier than expected, while Jetstar flights to Phuket will start on January 12.

Bali's beaches (pictured) are among the most popular in the world and are just a short flight from Australia

Bali’s beaches (pictured) are among the most popular in the world and are just a short flight from Australia

Sales on already announced Qantas flights to London and Los Angeles have been strong, with some selling out in hours after the border announcement.

Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand are still scheduled to commence from mid-December 2021, with other destinations to restart in the new year.

All travellers will have to be fully vaccinated and will be required to test negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of departure. 

An airport worker walks through a deserted Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali in October (pictured)

An airport worker walks through a deserted Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali in October (pictured) 

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS RESUME

THE BIG QANTAS RESTART

* Australia is preparing to reopen its international border to and from Sydney, NSW, for fully-vaccinated travellers from November 1.

* Qantas and its low-cost carrier Jetstar will bring forward the restart of more international flights by up to three months.

* All initial flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families and parents, including Australians returning home.

* Some 11,000 Qantas and Jetstar domestic and international flight workers stood down during the pandemic will be back at work by early December.

The restarted Qantas routes:

* Sydney to Singapore, from November 23

* Sydney to Fiji (Nadi), from December 7

* Sydney to Johannesburg, from January 5

* Sydney to Phuket, from January 12

* Sydney to Bangkok, from January 14

Other details:

* A new route from Sydney to Delhi begins December 6

* Flights from Sydney to Bali, Indonesia, are still in the negotiation stage

* Flights to Honolulu, Vancouver, Tokyo and New Zealand still expected to start from mid-December

* Flights from Sydney to London and Los Angeles are already on sale, amid high demand from Australians wanting to travel for Christmas 

 

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