Bali Tourism Association Urges Port To Implement Cheaper Covid Breath Test

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The Bali Tourism Association has urged officials at Gilimanuk Port to offer GeNose C-19 as a lower-cost alternative to PCR and antigen testing as required to enter Bali. The Tourism Association believes this will help Bali’s economy by attracting more visitors.

The Head of Jembrana Hotel and Restaurant Association, Gede Sukadana said that Gilimanuk Port is the main gateway for domestic travelers to enter the island and that officials need to start considering the GeNose C-19 as a testing method for the entry requirement.

According to his observation, many domestic tourists are still reluctant to travel due to the higher cost of rapid antigen and PCR tests required to enter Bali.

“The number of visitors through Gilimanuk Port is still considered very low, and I think it’s because of the higher cost to get antigen or PCR tested in comparison with the GeNose C-19 test,” Sukadana said.

He appreciated the effort from Bali Ngurah Rai Airport to increase their amount of passengers after recently implementing GeNose C-19 in the airport facility.

“I hope Gilimanuk Port could implement this new Covid-19 test method in their facility in order to attract more visitors and help revive the economy, especially before the Eid Al-Fitr Celebration,” Sukadana concluded.

Meanwhile, the Head of Jembrana Tourism and Culture Agency, Nengah Alit confirmed that he would support the implementation of GeNose C-19 test in his area as it was previously agreed by the National Covid-19 Handling Task Force as a legitimate and safe method of Covid-19 detection.