Most of Bali’s popular tourist destinations will still be safe even if Mount Agung erupts, the Bali Tourism Board has assured.
Although Mount Agung has continued to show increased activity and is causing widespread concern, the local tourism board states that with an eruption only two percent of Bali’s tourist attractions — Besakih, Tulamben, and Tirta Gangga — would be affected.
“According to information from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 98 percent of the tourist areas remain safe in Bali,” said Dewa Gede Ngurah Byomantara, head of the board’s Bali Tourism Hospitality Division 3, as quoted by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry official website on Wednesday. “Kuta, Ubud, Nusa Dua and Sanur are located far from Mount Agung. Currently, we believe that the area beyond 12 kilometers from Mount Agung’s crater remains safe,” he added.
In the case of an eruption, the tourism board will provide facilities to tourists, including free accommodations and transportation to the airport. Similar messages of assurances have also been voiced by Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika and Tourism Minister Yahya Arief. “Bali remains safe for tourist visits by both domestic and foreign travellers. We have taken various anticipatory measures and are well prepared in case of an eruption,” the minister said on October 5.
While the government has assured tourist facilities and safety in the case of eruption, it must be noted that past volcanic eruptions in Indonesia created evacuations, travel delays and disruptions at airports due to massive ash and dust clouds that spewed forth.
See: Helping The Evacuees From Bali’s Mount Agung
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