The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to Bali's tourism-reliant economy, with the province suffering the deepest contraction compared to 33 other provinces in the country.
Overall in 2020, Bali's economy contracted by 9.31 percent year on year. The contraction narrowed to 2.47 percent year on year in 2021.
The improvement in Bali’s economy continued in 2022. Based on the records of Statistics Indonesia (BPS)-Bali, the province’s economy managed to grow 1.46 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2022.
“We are optimistic that Bali will revive again and the economy will continue to grow,” according to head of the Bank Indonesia (BI) Representative Office in Bali, Trisno Nugroho.
He even projected that Bali’s economy will grow by around 5.4 percent to 6.2 percent in 2022.
According to Nugroho, one of the factors supporting economic growth in Bali is the recovery of public activities, which is in line with the increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Bali’s booster dose coverage has even crossed 64 percent—the highest level among Indonesian provinces.
The province’s recovery is also being supported by the recovery of domestic tourism and the continuation of investment and infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Mengwitani-Singaraja shortcut, the construction of the Bali Cultural Center, and the revitalization of the Besakih Temple area, among others.
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Several international-scale events, such as the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) and a series of activities of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, have also had a positive impact on the province's economy.
Hotels in the Nusa Dua area, Badung district, Bali, will benefit the most from the G20 Summit in November since the area will serve as the venue for the event, and the delegates will also be accommodated there.
Further, G20 Summit delegates are also expected to visit a number of tourist attractions in the districts and cities of Bali.
Chairperson of the Indonesian Hotel General Manager Association (IHGMA)-Bali Chapter, Yoga Iswara, affirmed that G20 events would help accelerate the economic recovery in Bali.
“The reopening of Bali to foreign tourists since February 2022 has provided an impetus for Bali's recovery. Meanwhile, the series of G20 events will provide better recovery for Bali," he noted.
According to Iswara, a large number of foreign tourists from Australia and the European continent are expected to visit Bali from June to August.
Hotels are currently working on strengthening visitor trust and confidence by proving that they can implement strict health protocols. "Because security and safety remain the top priority," he said.
To welcome the G20 Summit, a number of hotels have readied rooms for participants. So far, 75 percent of the total rooms are ready, and the number is expected to reach 100 percent later.
Besides hotels, the G20 Summit is also offering the hope of recovery to Balinese artisans.
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Earlier, Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Teten Masduki, visited the IKM Bali Bangkit (Bali’s Small, Medium Industry Rise) exhibition in Denpasar, Bali. The exhibition showcased products made by Balinese artisans, for example, Balinese songket woven fabric, kebaya, jewelry, and woven crafts made of bamboo, rattan, and coconut shells.
His visit to the exhibition was aimed at looking for products that would be used as souvenirs for the G20 event as well as to find clothes for the committee’s uniform.
According to Masduki, the use of local Balinese products for the G20 Summit is aimed at boosting the province’s economy.
The IKM Bali Bangkit exhibition also attracted the attention of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
"I really appreciate this exhibition. We can clearly see how the works and designs of small and medium industries in Bali province are of excellent quality," the President said during his visit to the exhibition on December 27, 2021.
At the time, the President also expressed the hope that the products made by Balinese small and medium industries would be selected and used as souvenirs for the G20 Summit.
Anticipatory measures in the health sector
For welcoming the G20 Summit, Bali has not only prepared its tourism sector but also the health sector.
The provincial government has readied five referral hospitals to handle emergencies faced by delegates during the event. The five hospitals are Sanglah Public Hospital, Bali Mandara Public Hospital, Siloam Hospital, BIMC Nusa Dua Hospital, and Udayana University’s hospital.
According to head of the Bali Health Office, Dr. I Nyoman Gede Anom, the five hospitals have been chosen because they are located near the G20 Summit venue.
"All the personnel and infrastructure are ready. So far, there are no additional facilities because the existing ones are sufficient," Anom affirmed.
The Health Office is routinely monitoring the preparedness of the five referral hospitals and reporting it to the Ministry of Health.
In addition to hospitals, each hotel that will serve as the venue of the meeting will also be provided with a mini-sized intensive care unit (ICU), manned with specialist doctors and equipped with advanced technologies.
The specialist doctors that will be readied for the mini ICU will include internal medicine specialists, surgeons, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists.
In addition, ambulances will also be prepared to facilitate delegates who, in certain cases, may need to be referred to a hospital.
Regarding the treatment mechanism for G20 delegates requiring health services, those with mild medical cases will be handled at the meeting location, which is equipped with a mini ICU.
Then, patients with moderate conditions will be referred to the nearest referral hospital.
Meanwhile, those with severe or critical conditions will be referred to Sanglah Public Hospital, which will serve as the main referral hospital. (
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Translator: Ni Luh Rhismawati, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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