KUTA, INDONESIA (REUTERS) – The Indonesian resort island of Bali welcomed its first foreign tourists on Monday (March 7) under relaxed coronavirus rules that no longer require arrivals to be quarantined, as part of a wider easing of restrictions in the Southeast Asian country after infections declined.

Known for its surfing, temples, waterfalls and nightlife, Bali attracted 6.2 million foreign visitors in 2019, the year before Covid-19 hit.

But only a trickle of visitors have returned since Bali began opening up to foreign tourists last October, discouraged by the need for quarantines and other rules.

Under a pilot scheme, fully vaccinated tourists can now skip a mandatory three-day quarantine, although they must remain on the island for four days.

“I think it’s good for the island,” said Mr. Jesse Rayman, 22, a Dutch tourist who arrived at Bali airport on Monday. “I hope everyone can travel safely in the future, and the coronavirus wouldn’t be much of an issue.”

With tourism normally accounting for over 50% of Bali‘s economy, many islanders are desperate to see a faster return of tourists, especially as some neighboring countries have moved on faster.

Thailand and the Philippines already have similar quarantine-free programs in place for foreign tourists.

Luhut Pandjaitan, a minister overseeing the Covid-19 response in Java and Bali, told a press conference on Monday that if the pilot program in Bali goes well, all foreign visitors entering Indonesia would no longer be required to self-quarantine from April 1 or earlier.