INDONESIA: Volcano Spews Ash In Bali, Tourists Warned

The UAE Embassy in Jakarta has issued a travel alert for tourists after a volcano erupted in Bali.

Mount Agung erupted at 3.21am local time on Sunday morning, and spewed ash up to 2,000 metres high.

The UAE mission alert citizens travelling to Indonesia’s holiday destination to be vigilant for any further development regarding the volcano’s activity.

In a statement, the embassy said: Due to the state of Mount Agung, the UAE Embassy in Indonesia advises Emiratis on the island of Bali to stay away from the volcano, take precautions and follow safety instructions.

Please register with the Twajudi service so we can locate your whereabouts. In the event of an emergency, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s call centre on 800 44444.

A number of areas across Indonesia, including in Sulawesi, Lombok and the Sumatra region, are still reeling from the aftermath of earthquakes that broke out in February and March 2019.

As of Wednesday, April 24, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all travel within four kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali, and to stay at least seven kilometres away from Mount Sinabung crater in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra.

These are exclusion zones put in place by the local authorities due to ongoing volcanic activity.

If you’re in either exclusion zone, you should leave immediately, said the FCO.


Tourism Observer

SOUTHEAST ASIA: Disasters Impact Tourism In Southeast Asia, 600,000 Chinese Tourists Cancelled Trips To Thailand In July

Summer 2018 has been an eventful one, not least for some of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations, which have endured more than their fair share of tragedy and turmoil.

On August 5, the Indonesian island of Lombok was hit by a second deadly earthquake in less than a week, this one killing at least 108 people, and sparking a desperate search for survivors and a mass exodus of tourists.

That followed the Phoenix boat disaster on July 5, in Phuket, in which 47 Chinese nationals lost their lives.

In the wake of the accident, as many as 600,000 Chinese tourists cancelled July trips to Thailand.

According to the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, this represents a 37-billion-baht (US$1.1 billion) loss of revenue and a 26 per cent reduction in arrivals from China, compared with the same period last year.

Officials predict the downturn to continue throughout August, with as many as 930,000 Chinese visitors staying away, although many have suggested it could have been worse.

Coverage of the tragedy was largely eclipsed by the feel good story of the summer, the Tham Luang cave rescue.

Elsewhere in Thailand, the closure of Maya Bay on June led to a dramatic decline in tourism revenues at Nopparat Thara Beach-Phi Phi Islands National Park, in Krabi province.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) estimates a loss of almost 57 million baht from June to July.

DNP deputy chief Jongklai Worapongsathorn said, We are not too concerned as we have made it our priority to rehabilitate the bay’s ecosystem.

In an effort to alleviate the environmental pressures placed on the beach by the influx of tourist boats it received prior to closing, the DNP is building a jetty that is expected to be completed by the time the bay reopens on October 1, with the hope that tourists and the revenues they bring return.

Despite revising downwards its forecast number of Chinese tourist arrivals for the second half of 2018 by almost 670,000, to 5.1 million, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is working hard to ensure that its top tourist market rebounds in time for China’s golden week holiday, from October 1 to 7.

Special immigration lanes for Chinese passport holders are being opened at airports serving Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai. Authorities are also considering providing multiple-entry visas.

It is not all doom and gloom in the Philippines, where popular island destination Boracay has been closed since April 26.

According to Department of Trade and Industry figures, tourist arrivals rose by more than 10 per cent, to 3.2 million, from January to May.

Lance Gokongwei, president and chief executive of airline Cebu Pacific said: Even with the closure of Boracay, we’re seeing tremendous growth in tourism.

We saw an opportunity to redeploy the aircraft flying to Boracay to additional destinations, such as Busuanga, Siargao and Negros Oriental.

Those that are not quite in the limelight like Boracay, they suddenly sprouted. And I think it’s good because it’s creating opportunity to build more legs to our tourism strategy.

Not only Boracay and Cebu, said Gokongwei. Now there’s four or five jewels.

Earlier this year, Lombok was identified by Indonesian authorities as being one of 10 destinations that could replicate the success of its neighbour, the hugely popular Bali, which, let’s not forget, has its own worries, the highly active Mount Agung keeping volcano watchers and other local officials on their toes.

As it has transpired, the impact of both the quake and the mass evacuation of tourists on the lives and livelihoods of inhabitants of the increasingly popular Lombok are likely to be felt for some time.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Mount Agung

Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a volcano in Bali, Indonesia, southeast of Mt Batur volcano, also in Bali. Gunung Agung stratovolcano is the highest point on Bali.

It dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate, especially rainfall patterns.

From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical. From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mt Rinjani on the nearby island of Lombok, to the east, although both mountains are frequently covered in clouds.

Balinese believe that Mt Agung is a replica of Mt Meru, the central axis of the universe. The most important temple on Bali, Pura Besakih, is located high on the slopes of Gunung Agung.

Gunung Agung is an active volcano, with a large and deep crater that occasionally emits smoke and ash. The last major eruptions occurred in November 2017.

Agung erupted in 1843, after having been dormant for a long time, this year the mountain began to be alive again. In the first days of the activity earthquake shocks were felt after which followed the emission of ash, sand and stones.

The eruption of 1963 is one of the largest and most devastating eruptions in Indonesia's history.

On February 18, 1963, local residents heard loud explosions and saw clouds rising from the crater of Mount Agung.

On February 24, lava began flowing down the northern slope of the mountain, eventually traveling 7 km in the next 20 days.

On March 17, the volcano erupted (VEI 5), sending debris 8 to 10 km into the air and generating massive pyroclastic flows. These flows devastated numerous villages, killing an estimated 1,100–1,500 people.

Cold lahars caused by heavy rainfall after the eruption killed an additional 200. A second eruption on May 16 led to pyroclastic flows that killed another 200 inhabitants. Minor eruptions and flows followed and lasted almost a year.

The lava flows missed, sometimes by mere yards, the Mother Temple of Besakih.

The saving of the temple is regarded by Balinese as miraculous and a signal from the gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument that the Balinese had erected.

Andesite was the dominant lava type with some samples mafic enough to be classified as basaltic andesite.

In September 2017, the area experienced 844 volcanic earthquakes, peaking at 300 to 400 earthquakes on 26 September. The frequency and intensity of these quakes caused much alarm among seismologists, as similar volcanoes have historically been known to erupt with even fewer warning signs.

As a result of the increased rumbling and seismic activity around the volcano, the alert level was raised to the highest level and about 122,500 people were evacuated from their houses around the volcano.

The Indonesian National Disaster Management Authority declared a 12-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano on September 24. Evacuees gathered in sports halls and other community buildings around Klungkung, Karangasem, Buleleng, and other areas.

The monitoring station is located in Tembuku, Rendang, Karangasem Regency, from which the intensity and frequency of tremors were closely monitored for signs of imminent eruption.

By late October 2017, the activity of the volcano decreased significantly, leading to lowering of the highest status of emergency on October 29.

On 21 November, activity increased once again. A phreatic eruption took place, with the ash cloud top reaching 3,842 metres (12,605 ft) above sea level.

Thousands of people immediately fled the area, and over 29,000 temporary refugees were reported to be housed in over 270 locations nearby.

A magmatic eruption began early on Saturday, 25 November.

The resulting eruption plume was reported to rise about 1.5-4 km above the summit crater, drifting towards the south and dusting the surroundings with thin layer of dark ash, leading some airlines to cancel flights bound for Australia and New Zealand.

An orange glow was later observed around the crater at night, suggesting that fresh magma had indeed reached the surface.

On 23:37, 26 November 2017 (GMT), another eruption occurred, the second in less than a week.

Ngurah Rai International Airport was closed 26 November, 2017, leaving many tourists stranded. Lahars were reported in the Selat district south of the volcano.

More than 100,000 people in a 10 km (6 mi) radius of the volcano have been ordered to evacuate.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology reported on 27 November that ash from the eruption had been observed at an altitude of 9,144 m.



Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Mount Agung Eruption, Indonesia To Divert Flights To Ten Airports

Authorities in Indonesia are on standby to divert flights destined for the holiday island of Bali as increasingly frequent tremors from a rumbling volcano stoke fears an eruption could be imminent.

Yet the Balinese government has sent a letter to address the “people around the world”, pleading with tourists that Bali is still safe.
However the official advice on the Australian Government’s Smart Traveller website says to exercise a high degree of caution.

It comes as Bali Nine member Scott Rush and 166 inmates at Indonesia’s Karangasem prison were evacuated amid fears Mount Agung could boil over.

Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August.

But in recent days it’s threatening to erupt for the first time in more than 50 years, forcing more than 80,000 people to flee their homes.

Hands up who else on the Island feels anxious? One island expat wrote on her blog.

Tourists have also said they have been forced out of accommodation close to the base of the volcano.

I had been at a wedding in a remote village of Munti Gunung in the north of Bali, one tourist said.

Around 11.30pm asleep back in the diving town of Tulamben I was woken by my Indonesian brother in law and told to pack our things and evacuate the area immediately.

It was quite a worrying moment because it was at that time we realised everyone in our hotel had already left.

Family staying in another hotel were kicked out and made to find their own way to safety.

Karangasem prison lies 23km to the southeast of the volcano, which is outside of the exclusion zone, but no chances were being taken.

Evacuated alongside Rush was Sydney man Michael Sacatides, who is serving time on drug charges and Indonesian woman Noor Ellis, convicted of the murder of her Australian husband Bob Ellis.

Karangasem prison governor, Kusbyantoro, said all the prisoners had been evacuated.

Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors every year to its palm-fringed beaches and an eruption would be a major blow to its tourism-dependent economy.

Yet in a statement from Pemerintah Provinsi Bali, Indonesia’s National Disaster Agency urged tourists to continue visiting Bali.

Bali tourism is safe. Do not spread the misleading news that Bali is not safe because Mount Agung is on the highest alert status.

Please, come and visit Bali,A.A. Gede Yuniartha Putra said from Denpasar.

A Tourist who was staying in a resort away from the volcano said how he watched Mt Agung become more active.

We even experienced six tremors while diving. Two felt huge, he said.

Within three hours our hotel shipped us to our next destination early. They sensibly moved all guests to avoid the impending chaos and shut down the hotel as best they could.

They saved us trauma and anxiety. We feel so much for the workers who have lost their incomes.

Swift assurances were made in a follow-up statement, claiming 50,000-60,000 visitors were still flying in and out of the country on Wednesday.

The statement said the raised hazard level of Mount Agung could discourage tourists but because most tourist destinations were far from the exclusion zone, visitors should not be worried.

Visit Indonesia Tourism assured visitors Bali was open for business and business as usual.

The airport in Bali’s capital Denpasar has not been affected but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued travel advisories warning travellers to exercise caution.

In anticipation of an eruption, Indonesia plans to divert flights headed for Bali to ten other airports, including on nearby Lombok and to the capital Jakarta.

The planes will be diverted to their nearest location or where it originally took off from, transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.

Airlines are watching the situation closely and 100 buses have been prepared to evacuate tourists.

Virgin Australia said it would be making an extra fuel stop in Darwin for some of its flights between Australia and Bali in case it is forced to turn back.

Singapore Airlines said customers travelling between September 23 and October 2 could rebook flights or ask for a refund.

Officials announced the highest possible alert level on Friday due to the increasing volcanic activity, and told people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recorded almost 300 tremors Wednesday morning.

A thin column of smoke can be seen rising from the mountain’s summit.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

Meanwhile, a rumbling, belching volcano that’s threatening to blow had forced more than 7,000 people to flee their homes by Wednesday on an island in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Authorities have declared an emergency on Ambae island, where activity at the Manaro volcano has increased recently, raising fears of a major eruption.

About 10,000 people live on the island, and villagers close to the volcano have been moved to schools and community halls on the island’s less vulnerable eastern and western regions.



Tourism Observer