"We welcome this inaugural flight. This shows that Indonesia, especially Bali, is still a favorite tourist destination," the ministry's Director General of Air Transportation, Maria Kristi Endah Murni, noted in her statement received here, Monday.
Moreover, she said, this is a form of support from the ministry's directorate general of air transportation for the Proud to Travel in Indonesia Program to encourage tourist mobility to Indonesia.
The Directorate General of Air Transportation also welcomed the inaugural charter flight of Lion Air PK-LSU JT2648 type Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, with the flight route Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, China (SZX) - I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar, Bali (DPS) ) on Sunday, January 22.
Murni stated that the new policy of the Chinese government, which has opened the border gate since January 8, 2023, will provide a positive value for Indonesia and be able to revive the country's aviation industry.
"We will provide full support for airlines that have complied with existing regulations and rules by granting flight permits to them. Of course, we will continue to implement strict health protocols in Indonesian tourist destinations," she remarked.
Murni noted that future challenges for the aviation industry include the opening of all international borders, including China.
"As a result, requests for opening flight paths will continue to grow and services must continue to be improved. (This is) of course, by always implementing safety, security, and services as well as compliance with applicable regulations," she remarked.
The direct flight from Shenzhen to Denpasar on January 22 carried 212 foreign tourist passengers from China comprising 193 adult passengers, 17 children, and two toddlers.
Earlier, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno expressed optimism that the return of tourists from China would support the 2023 target of foreign tourist visits of 3.5 million to 7.4 million.
"We hope that the arrival of Chinese tourists would accelerate recovery of this sector and create more jobs," he stated.
He explained that China is one of the largest market countries for tourism in Indonesia. This year, the ministry is targeting 255,300 Chinese tourists to visit.
"We are also still implementing the health protocol that has been regulated by the COVID-19 Task Force and the Ministry of Health for the arrival of Chinese tourists, and as of today, there is no need for additional checks for tourists from China, (and) all follow the existing standards," he affirmed.
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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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