REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BADUNG -- Potential guests, who had earlier made room reservations in some 10 hotels in Badung District, Bali Province, decided to cancel their plans.
The cancellations were made following news reports of Mount Agung showing increase activity, I Made Badra, head of the Badung tourism office, noted here, Friday.
Each hotel had received some 50 and 100 room cancellations, he said.
He, however, believed that in general, the number of tourists visiting Badung still remains stable.
Badung District, where the beaches of Kuta and Pandawa are located, is a major tourist destination in Bali.
The district has, so far, remained safe and conducive for tourists, as it is located at a distance from Mount Agung in Karangasem District.
Earlier, Tourism Minister Arif Yahya and Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika had made assurance to tourists that their visit to Bali will be safe despite the alert status of Mount Agung.
"Bali remains safe for visits by both domestic and foreign visitors. We have taken various anticipatory measures and are well-prepared in case of an eruption," he noted here on Thursday.
He stated that just a few areas will be affected by the volcano's increased activities, while a large number of tourist destinations in Bali will remain safe.
Besides this, the Indonesian government has experience in handling volcanic eruptions. If Mount Agung erupts, the government will apply measures similar to what it had implemented when Mount Raung in Banyuwangi, East Java, had erupted.
With regard to Mount Agung, the government has prepared three options: accessibility, accommodation, and attractions for tourists.
In case Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport is shut down due to volcanic ash, the Transportation Ministry has prepared alternative airports in East Java and Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and several buses to transport passengers to those airports.
"Precautionary measures are in place to ensure accessibility for domestic and foreign tourists in a worst-case scenario," he remarked.
Some 300 buses will transport passengers to the Praya International Airport in West Nusa Tenggara or to the Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java.
Governor Pastika has called on tourists to visit Bali without hesitation, adding that the resort island remains safe and conducive.
The governor made assurance during a recent meeting with tourism stakeholders, such as travel operators.
If Mount Agung erupts, it would have a direct impact on only 28 villages located within a radius of 12 kilometers from the volcano's crater.
Bali's main tourist attractions, such as Nusa Dua, Kuta, and Sanur, are located tens of kilometers from the location of the mount, he added.
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