IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON BALI’S TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Bali Province has an area of ​​5,633 km2 with a population of 4.22 million people. The average population density of 690 people / km2 is quite tight for an island as small as this. The tourism sector is the mainstay as a contributor to Regional Asil Revenue (PAD). Other economic sectors such as industry, agriculture, trade, etc. are only as supporting the tourism sector. Bali does not have significant natural resources in the mining sector.

Bali has indeed been known as one of the best tourist destinations in Indonesia since the Dutch era. Its beautiful nature, cultural customs and processions of Hindu religious worship practiced by the majority of the population are an attraction that is second to none in the world.

Over time, the tourism sector in Bali has developed in such a way as a logical consequence of central and regional government policies making Bali Island as a major tourist destination in Indonesia. Various supporting facilities were built on a massive scale, such as hotels, airports, seaports, toll roads and so on. Eventually the island of Bali turned into a kind of 'storefront' of all kinds of products and activities at home and abroad.The latest and most devastating disease in all parts of the world is the Corona virus or more popularly known as Covid-19. Starting from a city in mainland China, namely Wuhan at the end of 2019, this virus spreads rapidly throughout the world including Indonesia. Various policy steps have been taken by each government in all countries in the world to prevent or at least inhibit the development of the virus. Some apply "lockdown", there are "social distancing" and so forth. But the results have not been maximized. The number of people exposed to this virus continues to increase, so did those who died. The medical staff had struggled as hard as they could at the hospital, but the results were not entirely satisfactory. Scientists in the medical field are constantly trying to find an anti-virus vaccine, but until now it has not been successful.

As an area that relies on the tourism sector to generate local revenue (PAD), it is actually not without risk. This can happen at any time without prior warning. For example natural disasters, the issue of cholera, swine flu, rabies (rabbies) and other epidemics including the recent outbreaks of the corona virus are developing so rapidly throughout the world.

The negative impact caused by the Corona virus is indeed extraordinary, especially felt by tourism actors in the Province of Bali. Lockdown policy for residents in several countries, then the cessation of operations of various airlines, the cessation of land transportation facilities such as trains, buses, etc., caused the tourism sector to cripple here.

The domino effect that followed the paralysis of Bali's tourism sector is no less great. After hotels were closed due to the absence of guests staying overnight, "efficiency" steps began by the hotel management. Starting from the laying off of employees followed by termination of employment, the cessation of food supplies from suppliers, to the stop of entertainment attractions that usually involve quite a large workforce.

Chairperson of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI) of Badung Regency, IGA Rai Suryawijaya, determined the impact of Covid-19 was far worse when compared to the tourism of the Bali bombings in 2002. Since April 2020 almost 96% of hotels in the region has stopped operating or closed. The rest are inhabited by tourists who were already in Bali before Covid-19 and could not return to their country.

Statistically, at the beginning of 2020, overall tourist arrivals showed a positive trend, rising 11% from 346,113 people to 384,343 people. Then in February it began to fall 18% as the outbreak of Covid-19 began. March fell 42.32%, in April it fell 93.24%. If within the next 3-4 months the Covid-19 pandemic can end, then in August it is estimated that the world of tourism in Bali will gradually be stretched back. Learning from the bad experiences of the ups and downs of the tourism sector here, the Regional Government has time to think of strategic steps to develop Bali going forward, by:

1. To develop other economic sectors such as agriculture, small industry, trade in a joint and even manner, so that PAD is not solely dependent on the tourism sector.

2. Welcoming the "New Normal" era by the central government, the Regional Government of Bali must conduct a tighter selection of tourist arrivals to Bali, especially their health and socioeconomic conditions. The "Visa on Arrival" policy needs to be reviewed

3. It must be remembered that the tourism sector is not a primary human need. They only go on a tour if the destination is really safe and comfortable, such as low crime rates, no war, no dangerous infectious diseases.

Therefore, the government must be able to anticipate bad possibilities that can occur at any time. And if these undesirable things really happen then the government is not in a frenzy and ready to handle them quickly and precisely. Community participation will also greatly assist the speed of handling Covid-19 with discipline and adherence to policies implemented by the government. Hopefully the spread of Covid-19 will quickly pass in Tanar Air, so that the economy can gradually recover.