BPOLBF says ten Flores attractions damaged in 7.7 quake

Labuan Bajo — Tourism activity has largely resumed in Labuan Bajo and parts of Flores following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, but several damaged attractions remain under varied recovery conditions, according to national and regional tourism authorities.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy said it is accelerating recovery in priority destinations hit by natural disasters during 2026, including an earthquake in the Labuan Bajo and Flores area that damaged tourist attractions, accommodation, access roads and tourism villages and forced some events to be postponed or cancelled, according to Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI).

RRI reported that the quake had led to temporary closures at several destinations in Labuan Bajo and Flores while safety checks were carried out. The outlet cited ministry information that the West Manggarai regency administration later reported tourism in Labuan Bajo had returned to normal, with visitor numbers remaining relatively stable.

Florespos, a regional newspaper, reported that the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority Agency (BPOLBF) had identified a group of attractions across Flores with differing levels of damage following the earthquake. Acting president director Andhy M. T. Marpaung said three tourist destinations were classified as heavily damaged and seven as lightly damaged, for a total of ten affected attractions.

Reopening concentrated in Labuan Bajo

According to RRI, West Manggarai officials said that Komodo National Park and Padar Island, which had been temporarily closed for visitor safety after the earthquake, had reopened. RRI noted that tourism flows in Labuan Bajo remained stable and that the impact of the quake did not extend uniformly across all destinations in Flores.

Florespos reported that among the heavily damaged attractions were Nuca Molas in Manggarai and the Bukit Nilo Bunda Maria religious tourism site in Ngada. The same report said access to Mount Ranaka in Manggarai had been closed due to landslides triggered by the earthquake, with reopening subject to further assessment.

Florespos did not list all seven attractions assessed as lightly damaged, but stated that BPOLBF was monitoring conditions across its wider area of responsibility, which includes dozens of tourism villages in Flores and surrounding islands.

Regional officials and BPOLBF therefore urged visitors and operators to distinguish between destinations that had received clear reopening information and those still awaiting safety clearance, with closures remaining in place at some sites pending structural checks and repairs.

Safety checks and operator responsibilities

Florespos reported that BPOLBF called on tourism offices and destination managers not to reopen attractions prematurely while aftershocks and secondary hazards such as landslides were still being monitored. The agency also urged tourists to follow guidance from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) on seismic activity and related risks.

According to RRI, the Ministry of Tourism stated that the government was coordinating with regional administrations, BPOLBF, tourism associations and businesses to restore damaged destinations, protect visitor safety and rebuild local livelihoods. The ministry highlighted clear public information, safety measures and coordinated recovery as priorities in its response to disasters affecting tourism areas in 2026.

RRI also reported that Anak Krakatau’s volcanic activity disrupted flights on some routes in Sumatra and Java during the same period, prompting the ministry to ask online travel agencies and travel bureaus to apply force majeure provisions and support affected passengers with refunds and rescheduling.

While Labuan Bajo has regained most of its operational capacity, both national and regional authorities continue to caution that recovery is uneven across Flores, with several attractions still undergoing inspections and repairs before they can safely reopen to visitors.

Sources

• RRI.co.id – Ministry Accelerates Post-Disaster Destination Recovery in Several Regions
• Florespos.net