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Thousands of Chinese tourists stranded in Bali after flights suspended
BALI, Indonesia, Feb 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Thousands of Chinese tourists risk
being stranded in Bali after the Indonesian government suspended flights to
and from mainland China over fears of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
With flights to be suspended at midnight Wednesday, at least 5,000 Chinese
tourists are currently on the holiday island, according to Gou Haodong, the
Chinese Consul General in Denpasar.
Some are hoping to secure visa extensions offered by Bali deputy governor
Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati.
“Many foreign tourists want to extend their vacation in Bali and it is
fine,” he said.
But concerns surround delayed departures.
“We hope that Bali immigration office could facilitate Chinese tourists
who have to overstay due to the policy,” Haodong said.
Some hotels had given assurances the visitors would be treated well during
their extended stay, Haodong said, but he noted one establishment had
“rejected Chinese tourists who have earlier checked in and entered their
rooms due to panic over coronavirus”.
The number of Chinese tourists has already fallen from about 6,000 per day
to just to 1,000 since the outbreak started in mid-December.
Indonesia has yet to report a confirmed case of the virus, which emerged
in a Chinese market at the end of last year and has since killed almost 500
people in China and spread around the world.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1859 hrs