It's been a rough two years for most of the world with the coronavirus pandemic decimating global economies and leaving nations reliant on tourism floundering.
And few have been impacted as heavily as our beloved Bali — one of Australia's most favourite places to escape to pre-pandemic, reports news.com's Natalie Wolfe from the streets and beaches of Denpasar.
Before the pandemic brought international travel to a grinding halt and countries slammed their borders shut, more than 1.3 million Australians descended on Bali in 2019, injecting billions into the local economy.
But two years later, the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the Indonesian island, with local businesses and tourism operators telling news.com.au they had faced a relentless battle to survive.
The once-bustling island is a shell of what it once was.
A local jewellery shop employee, whose shop was the only one open in the street, said the past two years had been "not good".
"We barely see anybody, it's so quiet. Nothing is open. Most of the people I know haven't been able to work. We are one of the only places that managed to stay open," she said.
Local tour guide Tree told news.com.au she had spent the past two years doing what she could to survive by making snacks and selling them to local shops.
"Please, please come back to Bali," she said.
"We are ready for Aussies."
An abandoned shop in Seminyak. Photo / Natalie Wolfe; news.com.au
Tree also urged Australians to be fair with the Balinese people when they return.
"Before the pandemic, the shops would charge maybe four or five times the price but now they're not. They know they need to build that trust and relationship back with the Aussies so you can barter a little bit but please don't do it too much," she said.
One potential positive to come out of the pandemic was the drop in traffic jams on the island.
Tree said streets that used to take 30 to 45 minutes to pass through instead were taking five minutes.
"But this is just because all the shops are closed," she said. "We hope everything will come back the way it was before."
The airline will start slow this month, operating three flights a week from Melbourne before ramping up their scheduling in the lead-up to Easter.
Bali flights from Sydney and Perth are scheduled to recommence in early April, with flights from Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns and the Gold Coast scheduled for May.
New Zealand will have to wait a little longer for air links.
Air New Zealand is looking to resume seasonal services to Bali in 2023 and Emirates another operator of a popular link out of Auckland said that its Bali flights would remain suspended.
