The world is adjusting to the reality of living with COVID-19. In a matter of a few short months, the global pandemic changed the way we live, socialise, work, exercise and travel. Some of these shifts look set to continue after the virus is brought under control, though it is not currently feasible to make reliable predictions as to when that will happen. There are few aspects of modern life that have been affected as drastically by COVID-19 as international travel.
More than 16 million tourists visited Indonesia in 2019, while the nation’s bright economic prospects and growing foreign investment have made it an increasingly important business destination in recent years.
Though the pandemic has put the brakes on this growth in 2020, Indonesia is currently implementing wide-ranging comprehensive measures to make travelling to and within the country as safe as possible when international business and leisure trips are able to resume.
The safety efforts are being led by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE), though the approach is a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary one involving all relevant stakeholders.
Mrs Nia Niscaya, the deputy of marketing at the MoTCE, explains that in addition to her Ministry’s initiatives, “The Health Ministry is developing the eHAC (electronic Indonesia Health Alert Card) app for tracking and tracing. Led by the Foreign Ministry, Indonesia has concluded the establishment of three ‘Travel Corridor Arrangements’ with China, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, targeted at essential business travellers with strict health protocols.” Similar arrangement with Singapore is expected to follow suit soon.
“Of course, the successful implementation of these arrangement requires synergy among all national stakeholders, given the size of this country,” adds Mrs Niscaya.
The MoTCE launched the InDOnesia CARE initiative in August, which encompasses the nation’s protocols in protecting people against infection. The capitalised letters read “I DO CARE”, reflecting the government’s determination to maintain the safety, health, hygiene and comfort of everyone associated with the travel sector, from businesspeople and tourists to hospitality workers and airline staff.
At the heart of InDOnesia CARE is the implementation of CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environment Sustainability) across the tourism industry.
For those travelling into Indonesia from abroad, the measures will begin before they board the flight. Passengers will be required to provide the results of a PCR test taken in the country of departure and temperature checks will be carried out. Measures such as passengers printing their own boarding passes will help reduce the number of close interactions.
The capacity of flights will be reduced by 30 percent and seating will be arranged to maintain social distancing. Once on the plane, all airline staff will use personal protective equipment (PPE) and mask-wearing will be compulsory throughout the flight for passengers. Cabins will also be regularly disinfected.
On arrival at the airport in Indonesia, there will also be physical distancing rules enforced in all situations, air circulation and cooling, protective shields at counters and hand sanitising stations. All airport personnel will use PPE and the entire airport building will be regularly cleaned using UV sterilizers and disinfectants.
At Jakarta International Airport (Soekarno-Hatta) and the other international hubs, in addition to checkpoints to verify COVID-19 test certifications, there will be rapid tests for the virus available. Quarantine and other management protocols will be in place in the event that a passenger is suspected of being infected.
Similar stringent measures will be in place on domestic flights, with thermal scanners used to measure the body temperature of passengers before they board. Capacity at domestic terminals has also been cut in half to ensure physical distance can be practically maintained.
The MoTCE is continuing to coordinate with other entities, including the Coordinating Ministry for Marine Affairs and Investment, Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry, Ministry for Law and Human Rights, Ministry for State-Owned Enterprises, National Agency for Disaster Management, as well as regional governments, to create ever more effective procedures.
“With regard to the plan to re-open Bali as a pilot project, in August an integrated team comprising representatives from various ministries visited Bali to provide recommendations for seamless and safe travel to the island, as it remains the top destination for local and international tourists,” explains Mrs Niscaya.
Comprehensive manuals for both hotels and restaurants have been issued to the respective sectors, setting out end-to-end health protocols to minimise the risk of infection. These detail precise procedures including how to safely receive deliveries at establishments, managing traffic in car parks, sanitisation protocols, utilising technology such as contactless payment to maintain social distancing, data management on infections and much more besides.
The manuals also call for the use of the traditional Indonesian sembah greeting, whereby people put their hands together in front of their chest and make a slight bow, in place of handshakes, so as to reduce physical contact and therefore lower the risk of infection.
Indonesia is looking forward to welcoming back business and leisure travellers from around the world once it is safe to do so. And ensuring the safety of every one of those travellers will be the top priority of everyone involved.