TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy estimated that the Bromo fire has the potential to reduce non-tax state revenue or PNBP by up to 40 percent. The ministry’s expert staffer Nia Niscaya said that her side was calculating the impact of the fire which occurred on September 6 due to the use of flares by visitors who were taking their pre-wedding photos in the area.

“Looking at the statistics in 2022, PNBP in this area reached about Rp11.65 billion,” Nia said in The Weekly Brief monitored online on Monday, September 18, 2023.

Based on an economic analysis, she explained that the incident led to a halt in tourism and creative economy activities, resulting in a 30-40 percent drop in non-tax state revenue.

The incident also led to a significant decline in the hotel occupancy rate of up to 80 percent. In addition, food and beverage businesses, guide services, and jeep rentals also ground to a halt.

“A tourism agency, Monas Travel, from Surabaya said that all reservations were postponed due to the incident. Some were even canceled, both by domestic and foreign tourists. He was depressed,” Nia said.

The police have grilled six witnesses and named the wedding organizer's manager as a suspect in the fire at the Watangan Valley Savana Block, popularly known as Teletubbies Hill.

Probolinggo Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Wisnu Wardana said the suspect did not have a permit to enter the conservation area. “We will certainly take stern action against the perpetrators of both forest and land fires,” he said.

AMELIA RAHIMA SARI | ANTARA

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