O

rganizers of this year’s Krakatau Festival in Bandarlampung, Lampung, are determined to go ahead with a planned tour of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait despite that the volcano is spewing toxic gas hundreds of times per day.

They said that the festival, which caters to foreign and domestic tourists, would go ahead because there was generally more interest in the volcano when it was erupting.

“Currently, 82 tickets for the Krakatau tour have been sold, most of them to foreign tourists. As many as 28 countries are ready to attend Krakatau Festival and Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo 2011 [TIME] in Bandarlampung from Oct. 12 to 14 in Bandarlampung,” Lampung Tourism Office head Gatot Hudi Utomo, who is also the festival’s organizer, said on Monday

“Around 20 foreign ambassadors will attend the event.”

According to Gatot, the foreign envoys who have confirmed their participation are from Bahrain, India, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, the Philippines, Rumania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovania, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.

“The 2011 TIME program is part of a movement to attract visitors from across the archipelago and overseas to Lampung. We and travel agents will convince the tourists that Lampung is rich in tourist potential,” Gatot said.

Gatot said that promoting Lampung as a tourist destination was not difficult because it was located near Jakarta. Lampung is also home to nine travel agencies that routinely offer package tours to Mt. Anak Krakatau, Teluk Kiluan, Way Kambas National Park and Tanjung Setia Beach.

The Mt. Anak Krakatau trip has become a routine event of Krakatau Festival, which is held annually on Aug. 27 to commemorate the Mt. Krakatau eruption of Aug. 27, 1883. The event is sponsored by 2011 TIME this year.

The festival, which runs from Oct. 12 to 13, will feature a dance parade, Lampung traditional tapis textile carnival and a masquerade. Krakatau Night and Tapis Carnival are scheduled for Oct. 15.

A photo and art exhibition will also be held during the festival, including a music and kite festival, motorcycle tour, ethnic graffiti art contest, elephant show and a Lampung culinary bazaar.

“Hopefully, Mt. Anak Krakatau’s activity will be normal during the event so that we can warmly welcome the visitors from various countries,” Gatot said.

Last week, the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) issued a warning for tourists and fishermen to not approach the volcano, after Mt. Anak Krakatau’s activity increased. The volcano was reported to be causing hundreds of tremors and toxic gas eruptions per day.

Head of the Mt. Anak Krakatau observation station in Hargopancuran village, Rajabasa district, South Lampung, Andi Suwardi, said that since the volcano’s alert level was raised from Level 2 to Level 3 on Sept. 30, his
office had been urging residents not to go within 2 kilometers of the volcano.

According to Andi, Anak Krakatau discharges 10 kinds of toxic gases, including carbon dioxide.

“Inhaling the gas can cause breathing problems, unconsciousness and even lead to death,” he said.

Andi said the sudden rise in the number of volcanic quakes was caused by a fault line underneath the main crater.

The recent activity has surprised geologists, because in recent years volcanic activity has been largely concentrated at a crater north of the volcano.