The Bali and Jakarta Police Offices have put both destinations on highest security alert following a series of bombings in Surabaya and neighbouring Sidoarjo on Sunday and Monday morning.
Additional security personnel and more stringent security checks are being imposed at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and all entry points to the island.
Budi Karya Sumadi, Indonesia minister of transportation said the number of security personnel at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport had been increased from 500 to 700, including members of the bomb squad and bloodhounds.
The situations at both Indonesia’s busiest airports are running as normal.
Meanwhile, travel trade players in Surabaya, East Java are continuing to monitor the situation and are in close communications with clients and business partners overseas as the city remains on high alert.
Arifudinsyah, chairman of the Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) East Java chapter, told TTGmice: “We are collecting data and information from members (on the impact), but it is still too early to determine the impact on business now.
According to Arief Yahya, Indonesia Minister of Tourism, the Tourism Crisis Management Team “will continue monitoring and will co-ordinate with all parties to ensure that the tourism ecosystem are conducive; (to ensure that) the accessibility, amenities and attractions in East Java, particularly in Surabaya run normally.”
Responding to travel advisories issued by the UK, Australia, the US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ireland, Arief said: “The Ministry of Tourism respect that and views it as the duty of each country to protect its people abroad put in place.”
