Flores tourism continued after earthquake emergency extension, ASITA says

Labuan Bajo — Tourism activity across Flores continued after East Nusa Tenggara extended the earthquake emergency response period through 12 September 2026, according to the province’s travel association.

The East Nusa Tenggara chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies, or ASITA NTT, said on 31 August that the extension had not led to cancellations among its members, while operators in safe areas were continuing normal business and sharing destination updates with travellers and partner agencies.

ASITA NTT chairman Oyan Kristian said the group’s members had not reported tour cancellations linked to the extension, and he cited Kelimutu Lake as one destination that had already reopened on 25 August after safety checks. The association also said attractions it considered potentially hazardous, including Wae Rebo traditional village and Liang Bua, should remain closed until declared safe by authorities.

The tourism body said the distinction mattered for visitors because reopening was uneven across Flores. A functioning itinerary on one part of the island did not mean every attraction, road and building had been cleared for use.

Roads and safety checks

ASITA NTT also urged faster repairs to public facilities and sections of the Trans-Flores road network affected by the earthquake and landslides. It said road conditions were especially important for overland travel across the island.

Oyan also called for inspections of buildings used by visitors, including places where travellers rest or receive information. He said such facilities should only be used after an assessment and an official safety declaration.

The provincial government had extended the emergency response period by 14 days, from 29 August to 12 September 2026, after the magnitude 7.7 Flores earthquake. A separate BPOLBF public-information page listed a 3 September 2026 statement on safe tourism in Labuan Bajo and Flores after the quake.

BPOLBF, the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority, also posted updates saying tourism in Labuan Bajo was moving back toward normal after the earthquake. That reflected the wider pattern described by ASITA NTT: tourism continued in safer destinations, while some sites remained under review.

For travellers, the practical takeaway was to check each destination individually before departing. The emergency extension did not amount to a blanket closure of Flores, but neither did it mean all attractions had fully reopened.

What ASITA NTT said

• No tour cancellations were reported by ASITA NTT members after the extension.
• Kelimutu Lake was cited as reopened since 25 August 2026.
• Wae Rebo and Liang Bua were cited as sites that should remain closed until safe.
• Repairs were urged for damaged public facilities and parts of the Trans-Flores road network.

The association said government information should be accurate and formally validated so businesses could pass on conditions to travellers and travel agents without overstating the level of reopening. It also asked for targeted promotion and marketing support for tourism recovery, including for Komodo National Park.

ASITA NTT’s remarks were consistent with the provincial emergency extension and BPOLBF’s post-quake safety messaging, but they were an industry assessment rather than a count of visitor numbers, bookings or occupancy.

Context

Flores tourism was affected by the emergency period after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which led the provincial government to extend disaster response measures through 12 September 2026. Within that period, some attractions resumed operations once assessed as safe, while others remained closed pending clearance.

That uneven reopening remains important for the island’s tourism economy, which depends on a mix of overland routes, heritage villages and nature attractions spread across several districts. ASITA NTT’s message was that recovery was under way, but site-by-site verification was still necessary.

Sources

• Bisnis.com
• BPOLBF Public Information page
• RRI