TNBTS BB Restricts Bromo Tourism Due To Increased Crater Activities

Photos of the Archives - Volcanic ash stuck to the memorial board located in the Sand Ocean of Mount Bromo, in Ngadisari Village, Sukapura District, Probolinggo Regency, East Java, Friday (19/07/2019). ANTARA/Vicki Febrianto

The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Center (BB TNBTS) has restricted tourism activities in the area in line with the increase in activity in the crater of Mount Bromo in East Java.

Head of the TNBTS Center, Hendro Widjanarko, said that the community, including tourists in the Mount Bromo area, was prohibited from entering the area within a one kilometer radius of the active crater of Mount Bromo.

"People around Mount Bromo, including visitors, tourists, climbers, traders and tourism service actors, should not enter the area within a one-kilometer radius of the active crater," said Hendro as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 13.

Hendro explained that the decision was taken after the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) issued a statement regarding an increase in activity in the crater of the mountain which has an altitude of 2,329 meters above sea level (masl).

In the PVMBG statement, the increase in the activity of Mount Bromo was observed from the presence of gray crater smoke gusts with moderate to thick intensity and moderate pressure from inside the crater.

Observations of seismicity show that continuous tremors are still recorded with an amplitude of 0.5-1 mm (dominant 0.5 mm) accompanied by three volcanic earthquakes recorded during December 2023.

This shows the process of fluctuating pressure inside the body of Mount Bromo accompanied by fluid flows to the surface. Deformation observations using the Borehole Tiltmeter and Tiltmeter, show an inflation trending pattern or an increase in pressure around the body of Mount Bromo.

"With these conditions, the people around Mount Bromo, including tourists, traders, tourism service actors, should be aware of the sudden eruption of phreatics and without being preceded by significant volcanic symptoms," he said.

The level of activity of Mount Bromo can be re-evaluated if there are significant visual and instrumental changes in activity. Currently, Mount Bromo is in Level II or Alert.

The Mount Bromo area is one of the leading tourist destinations in East Java. In 2022, it was recorded that 318,919 tourists were visited, divided into 310,418 domestic tourists and 8,501 foreign tourists.

Of the total number of tourist visits to Bromo throughout 2022, there was an acquisition of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) of Rp11.65 billion, which increased when compared to the previous year which amounted to Rp4.85 billion.