international arrivals, Bali seems a long way from returning to its days of fully-booked hotel rooms, busy restaurants and crowded beaches.
In October, only two foreign visitors arrived, compared with half a million in the same month in 2019, and not a single direct international flight has landed on its shores since.
Hopes for the return of tourists are being eroded by the island’s restrictive quarantine measures and fears of a fresh virus outbreak.
This year-end holiday season will serve as a key trial for Bali -- if the current curbs can keep the virus under control, the government might ease curbs further to let its tourism sector rebound faster. “We are like sailing between two reefs: health and economy," said I Gusti Agung Ngurah