Flights to Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan, Disrupted by Forest Fire Haze

Thickening haze caused by forest and land fires has begun to impact the tourism sector in West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan. A number of international tourists planning to visit Tanjung Puting National Park have reportedly experienced flight delays. The Head of Tourism Destination Development for West Kotawaringin, Muhammad Alwan, stated that the haze is becoming an obstacle for foreign tourists with scheduled trips to Tanjung Puting. The situation is a concern for the local government, as Tanjung Puting is one of the regency’s premier tourist destinations, attracting visitors from various countries. “For international tourists, there are delay issues. Guests who should be on schedule are hindered by the increasingly thick haze,” Alwan said on Tuesday (11/8). According to him, the monitored impact so far is still limited to flight delays. There have been no reports of international tourist visit cancellations to Tanjung Puting due to the haze. However, he confirmed that the local government remains vigilant about developments in the coming weeks. If the haze thickens and spreads further, disruptions to air travel and tourist journeys are feared to become more significant. “We are observing the situation and conditions over the next two weeks, whether this haze will spread further or not,” he said. Concerns about the impact of forest and land fires are mounting because the period from June to early October is typically one of the peak seasons for international tourist visits to Tanjung Puting. “From June to early October, many international tourists usually come to Tanjung Puting,” Alwan explained. Information regarding the travel disruptions was also received by the local government from the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (ASTINDO) West Kotawaringin branch. Travel industry players are also monitoring flight conditions and the development of tourist visits to the regency. “For tourism stakeholders, the haze becomes a serious problem if it persists for a long time. Besides potentially disrupting flights, the haze can also affect tourist comfort during the journey to the Tanjung Puting area,” he said.