Latest airport closure becomes a litmus test for Bali’s crisis readiness

02 Jul 2018  2069 | World Travel News

The Mount Agung eruption that caused the abrupt closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport last Friday was a litmus test for the Balinese travel trade’s readiness in crisis management, as the incident took place as the island was hosting the annual Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) 2018.

But it was clearly business as usual for the Balinese travel industry, TTG Asia observed on the BBTF show floor, with buyers and sellers continuing their meetings since morning.

Ngurah Rai International Airport reopened on Friday at around 14.30 and was back in full swing by Saturday

While a couple of the sellers expressed concerns over the impacts on business should the closure persists, several international buyers TTG Asia spoke to played down the ash threat.

Amy Foss, director of Smarago Reizen in The Netherlands, was one unperturbed buyer at BBTF. “ Natural disasters happen and no one can predict them,” she said. “The last time Mount Agung erupted (November 2017) did not dampen the interest of our clients to travel here.”

Rob Haynes, director of Red Tree UK, commented: “I think the travel industry here is used to something like this. They know how to handle the clients, providing the (vital) information but without giving too much to scare them.”

As a travel industry executive, Karine Hosana, owner and manager of Travel Truck France, said she was “personally not concerned” with the airport closure but clients, should they be travelling in Bali when they face such situations, might have more concerns.

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