JAKARTA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has allowed quarantine-free cross-border travel between Singapore and the two Indonesian cities of Batam and Bintan, with an aim to revive the tourism sector in both areas, an official said on Monday.
"The government has encouraged the travel bubble between the cities of Batam, Bintan and Singapore to boost the recovery of the tourism industry," Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto told a virtual press conference.
With documents of negative tests for coronavirus in the last 72 hours, visitors from Singapore with complete COVID-19 vaccinations are allowed to enter both cities via boat terminals of Nongsa Batam and Telani Bintan.
The visitors are required to have insurance with a guarantee of 30,000 Singapore dollars (about 22,300 U.S. dollars) to activate Indonesian COVID-19 tracing programs and track applications.
The Indonesian Presidential Staff Office's Deputy for Infrastructure, Energy, and Investment Febry Calvin Tetelepta said Monday that the uncertain conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic in both countries have delayed the plan several times.
The travel bubbles are expected to restore the economy of these two cities and to provide a high multiplier effect on them, said Tetelepta. ■