First China to Bali flight after COVID rules ease

A direct flight from China landed in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for the first time in nearly three years on Sunday after the route was suspended due to the pandemic.

At least 210 people were on board the chartered plane operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air from Shenzhen in China's southern Guangdong province. Shenzen Travel Service organised the first arrival of a group of tourists from China to Bali.

The Shenzhen-to-Bali route will operate once a week during its initial phase. Indonesia is targeting 255,000 tourists from China in 2023. The country recorded 94,924 visits from China from January to October 2022. More than 2 million tourists from China visited Indonesia each year before the pandemic.