Business diversions

Tour diversions, rather than cancellations, have been the order of the day as operators in Indonesia keep business going despite continued eruptions from Mount Merapi. Tour operators have been skipping visits to Jogjakarta and Borobudur Temple, while some have avoided Central Java altogether, taking their groups directly to Surabaya from Jakarta.  When Solo’s Adi Sumarmo Airport reopened after a couple of days’ closure, tour groups and FITs returned to visit the Prambanan Temple Complex, Dieng Plateau and Wonosobo, giving just Jogjakarta and Borobudur Temple a miss.

Aneka Kartika Tours & Travel Services Surabaya had a couple of cancellations and more last-minute rerouting requests. Operations manager Adjie Wahjono said a 43-pax Belgian incentive group switched their Jogjakarta-Solo overland trip with a Jakarta-Bandung leg. “It was challenging to find rooms and all the components of the itinerary at their budget within just a few days, but at least they did not cancel.”

Jogjakarta has borne the brunt of Merapi’s fury. Actual losses have yet to be calculated but local papers estimate that the damage to the city could reach nearly 7.5 trillion rupiah (US$833 million). Worst hit were the smaller hotels in the Kaliurang area, which falls in the restricted zone of 15km from the mountain’s peak.

The closure of Borobudur Temple, which was covered in ash from the November 5 eruption, hurt local Central Java businesses, despite this period being the low tourist season with occupancies of 50 to 65 per cent. Jogjakarta agents regretted tour operators’ decision to divert groups, given that the city could be reached by land, and tourist attractions there were operating throughout.