Volcanic activity at Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara has reduced over the weekend, but the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) is urging continued vigilance while local tourism stakeholders are maintaining caution.
Lewotobi Laki-laki’s eruption on March 20 had resulted in seven flight cancellations from Australia to Bali, and five delayed services from Australia, Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur on the same day. A Singapore-Lombok flight was cancelled on March 21. Domestic flights between Bali and Labuan Bajo were also impacted, although no airport was shut down during the period.
Flights to Bali have since resumed.
Paul Talo, chairman of the Indonesia Inbound Tour Operators Association, said the disruption had a “noticeable” impact on tourism activities, specifically hotels, restaurants, and tour packages, in addition to flights. Precise impact figures are pending at press time.
Hariyadi Sukamdani, chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, noted that impact on travel and tourism could have been worse if the eruption had occurred during the high season.
He added that with Indonesia lying in the ring of fire and nature being unpredictable, tourists should be aware of potential travel disruptions.
Meanwhile, Bali and Angkasa Pura, the country’s airport manager, are working on alternative flight routes that bypass areas with volcanic ash. Tjok Bagus Pemayun, head of the Bali tourism office, said it is hoped that efforts would minimise losses from the destination’s number one source market, Australia.
Bayu Sutanto, secretary general of the Indonesian National Air Carrier Association, shared that airlines are closely monitoring the situation through the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, Australia as well as airport operation centres.
