Impact of Mount Merapi Eruption on Tourism Industry in Indonesia

INDIVIDUAL
JOURNAL ARTICLE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Pre disaster context.....................................................................................................................3
During the disaster......................................................................................................................5
Future disaster context................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Journal article are written in brief way and is very specific to the topic. It includes
presenting various ideas and expertise knowledge around the topic. Natural disaster affect the
industry of tourism in high extend as the flights gets cancelled, transportation in the local areas
are restricted while in some cases the major attractions of tourism is destroyed and affecting the
economy of the place as regions depending on tourism activities is disturbed (Kurniawan, and
et.al., 2020). Disasters in destination leads in creating temporary shifts that will destroy the
image of the tourism destination. This report deals with the impact of one such disaster on
tourism. Mount Merapi erupted in the year 2010 in Central java Indonesia. This series of
eruptions have continued during the month of November. This affected the tourism of the place
as a collateral damage as travellers are sensitive to the changes in the local conditions of the
place that will upset their plans (Carr, Clarke and Vitturi, M.D.M. 2020).
MAIN BODY
Pre disaster context
During the year 2010, in November, the active volcano of Indonesia have had its second
eruption. This was a major disaster that led to the deaths of 353 people while displacing more
than 400000 people to shift in nearby villages (Chan, Konstantinou and Blackett, 2021). This
eruption site is considered to be a unique spot for disaster destination as Merapi was considered
to be one of the popular tourism site prior to the eruption activity. Tourism in this place have
contributed a significant amount in the local economy. There are many tour companies and
traveling agencies that have more place in having standard sightseeing tours within the affected
areas. These tour programs have helped in providing direct paths that will help in donating to
some charities on local purpose while getting relief effort (Rani and Khotimah, 2021).
Indonesia is a place that appeals to its visitors from its tropical ambience, beautiful
mountains along with the spectacular reefs along with the exotic cultures. The country has to
face many natural disasters including earthquake, tsunami and volcanic eruptions that make the
tourists become interested in viewing the harsher face of the eruptions (Indriana, and et.al.,
2018). The refugees camps are very painful and carries a legacy along with the Mount Merapi
eruptions in year 2010. The location of Merapi among very populated areas in Java. There are
many people living in the slope areas of the mountains. A lot of people there are from lower

class that chooses to live in the volcanic areas despite of having the risk of eruptions. In the
month of March 2010, there were first signs showing the chances of volcano eruptions as the
volcanic dome was seen to be started to bulge (Sumerta, Setiawan and Sudiana, 2020). Till the
month of September, these earthquakes associated activities such as white plumes of smoke were
seen to rise above the area of volcano’s crater. On 25 October 2010, Mount Merapi erupted and
this activity of eruption continued till November 30. This eruption of volcano have some major
causes due to the subduction of the Indo- Australian plate from beneath the Eurasian plate. This
volcano is located around the destructive plate margins present at the subduction zone, being a
part of pacific ring of fire.
The physical impacts of this volcanic eruptions and heat clouds with high temperatures
up to 800 degree Celsius. The flows from the volcano have travelled down to the heavily
populated sides of the mountains. Moreover, the ash from the volcano fell up very far away and
have travelled into the sky (Zuev, Zueva and Savelieva, 2017). This lead to villages being buried
under the centimeters of ash while the sulfur dioxide from the eruption has blown around
Indonesia and Indian ocean. These ash clouds were distributed majorly to aviation were spread
across the region of Merapi. The volcanic eruption of Mount Meraki resulted in blocking the
roads as the local people were trying to escape from the hazardous zone. It even led to increase
in the inflation rate for vegetables as the agricultural land was completely destroyed. There were
a high amount of heavy rains that lasted for a day or two washing the ash and rock down in
nearby towns while destroying the bridges (Fathurrohmah and Kurniati, 2018).
The impact of natural disasters is known to be more profound and have attributed from
the changing weather patterns present around the world, leading to climate change. Tourism is
known to be the lifeblood in various regions where the locality will depend on the influx of the
local as well as international tourists (Riasasi and Sejati, 2019). The various aspects from natural
disasters in tourism industry can be positive as well as negative due to being occurring in an
unexpected manner. This industry can recover from any activities better than it would overcome
environmental disaster. The effect of natural disaster changed depending on the scale of the
natural disaster, such as volcanic eruptions in this case (Sunardi, Sulistijorini, and Setyawati,
2017). These eruptions have the power to destroy the structures while changing the landscape
affected areas of the destination. Such disaster will hamper the scope of tourism when are
intensified and on frequent basis. Such conditions are hard to prevent unless there is an overhaul