Nearly a thousand waitstaff dressed in traditional Balinese attire carried beverages on trays, gearing up for a running competition on Kuta Beach.

They were participating in the Waiter/Tray Run on Dec. 16 to spread the news to visitors that “Bali is safe”, and that it remained the world’s top destination despite the rumblings of Mount Agung.

The 1-kilometer run, organized by the Indonesian Food and Beverages Association (IFBEC), saw participation from employees of the hotel industry, independent bars and restaurants in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud, among others.

“As an association, our purpose is to take initiative so that tourism in Bali can recover quickly,” IFBEC head Ketut Darmayasa said.

The rumbling volcano has crippled Bali’s tourist industry as officials and businesses scramble to find ways to ease worries over the safety of vacationing on the Island of Gods.

While nearly all of Bali’s hotels are located outside the 10-kilometer radius danger zone from the volcano, concerns over an airport shutdown, such as on Nov. 28 until 30, and future eruptions has hit hotel occupancy over the past several weeks.

Budget to five-star hotels have offered steep discounts and special packages to lure back travelers. Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta, for example, has slashed the price of its standard hotel room from Rp 1.4 million (US$98) to Rp 900,000.

“We saw a drastic drop in the hotel’s occupancy rate from 70 percent to 40 percent, especially after the airport was
closed,” Ketut Narendra Wiriadijaya, the marketing communication manager of Hard Rock Hotel Bali, said.

To boost occupancy, Hard Rock has been trying to tackle fake news spreading on social media claiming that Bali has been largely affected by the eruption, Ketut says.

Hotels have also been pushing collaboration with other stakeholders and officials to disseminate good news about Bali to lure back tourists.

Made Sukalama, the president director of Jimbaran Bay Beach hotel, said that during the year-end holiday season, the occupancy rate usually stood between 70 and 75 percent, but it currently stood at 26 percent.

Jimbaran Bay Beach has forged cooperation with relevant stakeholders to find ways to handle transportation and accommodation for tourists in the case an airport shutdown was necessary. The hotel will provide free one night stays for tourists.

On various occasions, Made Mangku Pastika, the governor of Bali, has repeatedly urged all hotels to provide free rooms and transportation to the other airports in the event of a shutdown at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The natural disaster has not only impacted the hotel industry, but also popular tourist destinations, including Tanah Lot, Uluwatu and the Monkey Forest.

Tanah Lot, a popular landmark known for its unique offshore and beautiful sunset, has seen its market shift to serve more domestic visitors. In the past, half of the visitors were largely from China, Australia and India.

In the days after Ngurah Rai’s closure, Tanah Lot’s visitor numbers plummeted to 3,000 people a day from the usual 7,000 to 8,000. To maintain tourist visits, the management has been actively disseminating information and collaborating with tour agents to promote that Bali is safe.

Apart from Tanah Lot, another frequently visited destination in Bali is the Monkey Forest, which also saw a decline in the number of visitors from 3,000 people to 1,000 per day.

Similarly, Uluwatu Temple, located in Pecatu village, has also seen a steep decline in visitor numbers in December.

However, total visitor numbers were higher than last year. The number of domestic tourists at the temple increased to 485,835 people as of Dec. 15, compared to 454,772 for the full year of 2016. The number of foreign visitors also jumped to 1.62 million people as of Dec. 15, compared to 1.27 million in 2016.

Instead of increasing ticket prices or offering discounts to lure more tourists, major tourist destinations are opting to maintain prices and instead focus on improving services and staff friendliness.

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