Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government is providing assistance to tourists affected by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Flores, which is located 540 kilometers from Labuan Bajo—a popular tourism destination in East Nusa Tenggara.
According to Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, supporting facilities such as transportation to the nearest hotel, clean toilets, and food have been provided to hundreds of tourists who are still stuck in Labuan Bajo.
"Based on the data (as) of November 13, 2024, at 6 p.m. local time (GMT+8), an estimated 602 tourists are still stuck in Labuan Bajo," she said during a meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The government is also offering alternative sea routes via ferries from Labuan Bajo to several ports, including Sape (Bima), Poto Tano (West Sumbawa), Kayangan (Lombok), Lembar (Lombok), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), and Benoa (Bali).
Since November 9, the bookings of as many as 505 hotel rooms have been extended. Tourists extending their stay in 3-star to 5-star hotels in Labuan Bajo are getting a discount of 50 percent on average.
The hotels that are providing discounts include Puri Sari, Ayana, Green Prundi, La Prima, Parlezo, Merourah, and Palm Hotel.
They are also offering additional services, including assistance in purchasing ship tickets, pick-up/drop-off services for tourists whose flights have been canceled, helping tourists looking for sea accommodation options, and providing alternative city tourism options for tourists.
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The Tourism Information Center (TIC) of Labuan Bajo has been acting as a crisis center supporting the provision of the latest information on alternative accessibility to Labuan Bajo, options for places and activities for tourists in Labuan Bajo, and appeals regarding the Lewotobi eruption.
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"We will continue to carry out emergency response actions by continuing to coordinate with various local authorities to ensure the safety of tourists through the activation of the Tourism Information Center and the establishment of a sea transportation readiness post to ensure the evacuation of tourists out of Labuan Bajo," Wardhana informed.
The Tourism Ministry is also ensuring that tourism industry players, including transportation and travel agencies, do not increase service prices during the emergency response period.
