Tourism Sector Under Threat
Tourists take in Mount Batur Geopark in Kintamani district, Bangli regency, Bali, Wednesday (4/10). Many of the tourists visiting the area had intended to go to Mount Agung in Karangasem.
DENPASAR, KOMPAS – The future of the tourism-based economy in some areas in Bali is under threat. A number of measures have been taken to reduce the impact from the possible eruption of Mount Agung.
According to Kompas’ observation on Wednesday (4/10), a number of popular tourism destinations in Bali such as Sanur, Kuta, Amed, and Ubud have begun to feel the pinch from the volcanic alert status of Mount Agung to the highest Awas (warning) level.
The turn over at a number of star-rated hotels, travel agents, and vehicle rental services has dropped by at least 10 percent. Foreign tourists from Australia, Europe, and several Asian countries have cancelled their trips for fears of a Mt Agung eruption.
Based on data from the Bali Central Bureau of Statistics, 4.92 million foreign tourists visited the island in 2016, a 23.14 percent increase from about 4 million people in 2015. Most foreign tourists came from Australia and China, with the length of a tourist visit averaging three days per person.
The manager of the Royal Singosari Hotel in Kuta, Ida Bagus Wirama, said 164 pre-booked rooms had been cancelled since last month. Of the total, 51 bookings were canceled because of fears over the possible eruption of Mt Agung.
With room rates ranging from Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million, total losses due to the imposition of the highest volcanic alert status in locations near Mt Agung could beRp 25 million to Rp 51 million per day. The average tourist stay is two to four days.
"Tourism activities in Kuta has also been affected, although the distance from Kuta to Karangasem, the area around Mt Agung, is about 100 kilometers," said Wirama.
The manager of Excellent Travel Agency in Sanur, Eduardo Hendra, said the fears over the eruption of Mt Agung had seriously affected Bali’s tourism industry. At least 10 percent of his travel agency’s bookings at had been cancelled in the last two weeks.
"On average, 10 tourists have canceled or changed the schedule of their visits to Karangasem and Amed, the two main diving areas near the volcano. Rates per person per day is Rp 700,000 to Rp 800,000,"he said.
I Wayan Suariawan, a staff at the Peneeda View Sanur Hotel said the hotel was offering a 10 percent discount to lure tourists to Bali. The discount was offered for both direct and online bookings. Peneeda View Hotel has 56 rooms with room rates of Rp 800,000 to Rp 1.5 million per night.
The condition of Bali’s tourism industry is reflected in the data of the local branches of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants and the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association. The potential decrease in tourist arrivals to Bali could reach 70,000 people during the October-November period.
As a result, the potential loss of income is estimated at Rp 70.46 billion per month, or more than Rp 140 billion in October and November combined.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, who was interviewed on Wednesday after he inaugurated the Tasikmalaya October Festival in Jakarta, said that although the volcano had not erupted, the Mt Agung’s volcanic activities had influenced the decision of tourists to come to Bali.
"There have been [many] cancellations. It is estimated that the figure will reach 20 percent, especially for MICE [events]," said Arief, adding that this figure had not yet been confirmed.
However, an estimate was needed to calculate the potential loss and to make future plans accordingly. The number of foreign tourists visiting Bali was roughly 15,000 people a day and domestic tourists totaled 25,000 people a day, at an average stay of four days.
If the average spending of foreign tourists was about US$1,200 a day, potential losses from foreign visitors could reach $3.6 million, or Rp 48.28 billion, for a four-day period, Arief said.
Guarantee
In an effort to reduce potential losses, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika held a closed meeting on Wednesday afternoon in Denpasar with 35 consulates and representatives of foreign countries.
One of the topics discussed was the travel warning on Bali that a number of countries had issued for their citizens. At least five countries, including Australia, the United States, Singapore, New Zealand, and the UK, have issued a travel warning on visiting the resort island.
"If Mt Agung erupts, we will guarantee accommodation and tourist transportation facilities. In an emergency situation, the tourists can be sent to Lombok or Surabaya," he said.
The Republic of China Consul-General in Denpasar, Hu Yinquan, appreciated the initiative made by the Bali provincial government to invite the representatives of foreign missions. He said an official explanation from the local government was important to anticipate a possible eruption.
"We will inform [our citizens] that Bali is safe. Many tourist destinations such as Nusa Dua, Kuta, and Sanur remain safe for visitors. However, we will urge travelers not to go to the area around Mt Agung," said Hu.
According to eastern regions volcano mitigation head Devy Kamil Syahbana at the Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM), Mt Agung\'s seismic activities had increased again after a slight decline the previous day. This indicated that the potential for eruption remained high and could happen at anytime.
National Disaster Management Agency head Willem Rampangilei said that although fluctuations were observed in volcanic activities, the agency was preparing for the worst, including testing the sirens installed at six locations.
"The warning sirens will be activated when a high tremor occurs that indicates that eruption is imminent. The time between the tremor and the eruption could reach up to an hour," Willem added.
Follow recommendations
Meanwhile, commenting on the Purnama Kapat religious ceremony to be held at the Pura Besakih on Thursday morning, Devy reminded residents to follow the CVGHM’s recommendations. The Bali Governor is expected to attend the event.
The temple is located in the restricted zone, or within a9-kilometer radius from the mountain’s summit, and is not safe for human activities.
The Bali chairman of the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia, I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, appealed to Hindus who had been evacuated from the area around Pura Besakih to take part in the ceremony. However, he said they should observe prayers in their evacuation camps and not attempt to come to the temple.
Meanwhile, as of Monday (2/10), the Livestock and Animal Husbandry Task Force team had evacuated 4,552 cattle owned by residents around Mt Agung to seven shelters in Bali.
(CHE/COK/NIK/KRN/BAH/MKN/ARN)
