The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has spread volcanic ash over Labuan Bajo, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), affecting Komodo Airport in East Flores. As of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, the airport remains closed until conditions are deemed safe for reopening.
Impact on Labuan Bajo’s Tourism Industry
The eruption has significantly impacted the tourism industry in Labuan Bajo. The airport closure has caused massive financial losses for hotels and travel agencies, with hotel occupancy plummeting as tourists face restricted access to the area.
According to Silvester Wanggel, Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Manggarai Barat,
“Many guests have opted to leave Labuan Bajo by taking Pelni ships, crossing to Sape by ferry or renting cars from Labuan Bajo to Lembar (Lombok). Some are also using Roro ferries from Labuan Bajo to Surabaya.”
Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo’s Marcomm and PR Manager, Indira Puliraja, added that the airport closure has led to operational disruptions at the hotel, affecting guest numbers and pre-scheduled room bookings.
“Over 200 room bookings at Meruorah Komodo Hotel had to be canceled, leading to a revenue loss of over IDR 1.4 billion,” Indira explained.
To accommodate stranded guests, the hotel has offered discounted rates and arranged alternative sea transportation for those wanting to leave Labuan Bajo.
Robertus Hormat, the Owner Representative of Sudamala Komodo Resort, reported similar setbacks.
“With 68 guests, including 48 international tourists, stranded due to flight cancellations, we provided some to Sape, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) with speedboat, many others remain at the resort.”
Tour operators in Labuan Bajo are also facing challenges. Getrudis Naus, Chair of the Tour and Travel Association (ASITA) Manggarai Barat, mentioned that since the airport closure, numerous tourists have canceled their trips, affecting revenue streams across the tourism sector.
In different event, Fransiskus Teguh, Acting Director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority confirmed that the Komodo Airport closure had hampered tourists’ ability to exit Labuan Bajo. Hotels in the area are experiencing room booking cancellations ranging from 77 to 606 rooms per night.
“Coordination among stakeholders like Harbormaster’s Office and Port Authority, Indonesian National Shipping, River, Lake and Ferry Transport, Dharma Lautan Utama, and speedboats has been essential to facilitate tourist evacuation,” he stated.
Fransiskus added that Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority is actively working with relevant parties to devise optimal solutions, including mitigation strategies to minimize economic losses for tourism businesses.
“We hope the situation stabilizes soon, allowing tourism activities to resume and regaining tourists’ confidence in visiting Labuan Bajo.”
Bali Remains Safe and Opens for Tourists
Meanwhile, Bali’s tourism activities continue as usual. Bali’s Head of Tourism, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, assured that Bali tourism is safe, emphasizing that the island is unaffected by the Mount Lewotobi eruption due to the considerable distance between the two locations.
Tjok Bagus noted that while some flights to and from Bali have been canceled, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia has taken preventive measures, including aerodrome observation tests with no volcanic ash detected in Bali’s airspace.
This finding is supported by data from Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency, and AirNav Indonesia and pilot reports, which confirm that Ngurah Rai International Airport remains safe and fully operational.
“For passengers affected by flight cancellations, Angkasapura and airline operators have set up assistance mechanisms,” Tjok added.
Source: detik.com, metrotvnews.com
Image source:pexels.com
