A recently viral video shows a tourist paragliding near Mount Bromo, East Java, sparking outrage as the activity is strictly banned in the protected national park.
Social media has recently been shaken by a video showing a foreign tourist paragliding in the Mount Bromo tourist area. The footage was uploaded by the Instagram account @indonesian_mountains on Wednesday, the 10th of September, with the caption: “Gimana tuh….” (in English: “How’s that?”)
The 25-second video captures a tourist paragliding with an orange parachute, piloted by a person wearing a helmet and white clothing. The paraglider can be seen flying towards Mount Bathok, located adjacent to Mount Bromo, in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru or TNBTS). The unusual sight draws attention from several bystanders, some of whom are dressed in white and can also be seen recording the moment on their mobile phones.
The ban on such activities, in addition to conservation regulations, is also reinforced by Letter No. 295/Perm/PDP-Tengger/X/2024 from the Paruman Dukun Pandita of the Tengger region, which prohibits drone flights, hot air balloons, and paragliding.
The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Office confirmed that the activity was unauthorised and in violation of conservation rules. Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, the head of the office, explained that, based on the testimony of the witness who captured the footage, the incident actually occurred on the 30th of July in the Lemah Pasar area.
However, the identity of the tourist involved has remained unknown since then.
“All forms of paragliding and other aeromodelling sports are prohibited throughout the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park area, including Mount Bromo,” Nugraha affirmed to the press on Sunday, the 14th of September.
Additionally, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa also responded to the incident, stressing that Mount Bromo is not only a tourist destination but also a conservation zone, as well as a sacred site for the Tengger natives.
“There must be zero tolerance for activities that harm the environment, compromise safety, or undermine cultural values,” Parawansa remarked on the following Monday.
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