Mount Anak Krakatau Eruption Disrupts Tourist Flows, Minister of Tourism Remains Optimistic

The recent eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau has not only drawn public attention from a disaster management standpoint. This volcanic activity has also disrupted tourist mobility, after temporary closures of multiple airports across Lampung, Banten, and West Java caused interruptions to thousands of flight services.

Indonesian Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana confirmed that volcanic eruptions within the country create measurable impacts on the tourism sector. She specifically cited the Anak Krakatau event, which disrupted nearly 3,000 combined domestic and international flights.

These aviation disruptions affected approximately 340,000 total passengers. The situation unfolded after operations were temporarily suspended at seven airports across the Lampung, Banten, and West Java regions.

"There are definite impacts. From this Anak Krakatau eruption alone, 340 thousand passengers were affected, with over 3,000 flights either cancelled or rescheduled," she stated following a graduation ceremony at NHI Bandung Tourism Polytechnic on Tuesday.

Seven Airports Resume Full Operations

Positive developments have been announced, as all seven airports impacted by the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption have returned to normal operation. Widiyanti expressed relief that the aviation disruption did not continue for longer, noting that air connectivity forms a critical backbone for tourist travel to destinations across Indonesia.

"We hope no prolonged disruptions occur. This hits our tourism sector significantly, especially as we have just recorded 5.23% growth that we are working hard to sustain. We will need to exert maximum, intensified effort to continue promoting and improving the quality of Indonesia's tourism offerings," she added.

Previously, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed that the Anak Krakatau eruption forced the temporary closure of at least seven airports in Lampung, Banten and West Java. This event disrupted 2,961 domestic and international flights, with around 341,000 total passengers impacted.

This disruption arrived right as Indonesia's tourism industry was tracking a strong positive growth trend. According to Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, international tourist arrivals to Indonesia reached 8.98 million visits between January and July 2026.

This figure represents a 5.23% increase compared to the same period in the prior year, and marks the highest arrival volume recorded since 2020.

Malaysian Visitors Remain The Largest Arrival Group

By country of origin, Malaysian passport holders accounted for the largest share of international arrivals over this reporting period, contributing 15% of total tourist visits.

Australia ranked second with a 12.34% share of arrivals, followed by Chinese travellers at 10.28%.

This data demonstrates the scale of active international travel flow into Indonesia, at a time when the tourism sector is still working to consolidate its post-recovery growth momentum.

For this reason, volcanic eruption-related flight disruptions present a distinct operational challenge. Beyond impacting international tourist itineraries, these events also restrict domestic Indonesian travellers from accessing destinations nationwide.

Tourism Minister Remains Optimistic

Despite the operational impacts caused by recent volcanic activity, Widiyanti maintains an optimistic outlook for Indonesia's tourism growth prospects. She emphasised that the current positive momentum must be protected through more adaptive strategic responses.

The government will continue initiatives to boost international tourist arrivals, while also strengthening domestic tourism travel. Cross-ministerial coordination is identified as a critical support mechanism, particularly when the tourism sector faces unplanned disruptions such as airport closures.

"We absolutely must remain optimistic. We also need to be adaptable, and adjust our strategies accordingly. Growing both international arrivals and domestic tourism is our core strength. We receive coordination support from other government ministries, including during flight disruption events. We are working to maintain this growth trajectory, we stay optimistic, and we hope for favourable conditions going forward," she stated.

For Indonesia's tourism sector, the restoration of full airport operations is a critical milestone to preserve visitor movement flows. Amid ongoing risks of disruption from volcanic activity, authorities are required to maintain rapid emergency response capabilities, while continuing destination promotion and quality standard improvements to ensure the current tourism growth trend is not interrupted.