Fears of an imminent eruption from Bali’s Mount Agung volcano have apparently not scared tourists away from vacationing on the island too badly, according to Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika.
With the volcano threatening to erupt any day now, travel advice, or official warnings have been issued from some of Bali’s biggest tourist markets: Singapore, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
But without providing any specific figures, Bali foreign arrival numbers are still strong, Pastika said during a meeting last Thursday in Jakarta.
“Tourism is still full bustling. The only thing I’m warning is not to get too close to the danger zone,” Pastika said.
Since Sept. 22, Mt. Agung, 75 kilometers from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been at the highest alert status for an eruption. A fissure vent was observed at the volcano’s crater last week and clouds of white steam clouds containing sulfurous fumes were also spotted shooting up from the crater. Over 144,000 people had evacuated from around the volcano, but those outside of the immediate danger zone—of nine kilometers from the volcano’s crater—were told to go home on Saturday.
The airport is on standby for a possible eruption and plans have been made to divert Bali-bound flights to 10 alternative airports in Indonesia, should Agung erupt and spew ash in the airport’s flight path.
But Bali’s governor is insistent that the remainder of the island, outside of the danger zone, remains safe for tourism.
“Even though there are travel warnings out, planes are still full. Hotels are also full. I think they see for themselves what’s happening in Bali. Sometimes the news is really big, really frightening.”
