RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The I ndonesian Ministry of Tourism is actively coordinating with relevant agencies and stakeholders to tighten the supervision of tourist activities around volcanoes to ensure overall safety within the tourism sector.

Responding to written inquiries regarding the impacts of Mount Dukono's eruption in North Halmahera, North Maluku last month, the Ministry of Tourism stated that the government is prioritizing supervisory coordination to manage tourism activities in volcanic areas.

"Our main priority right now is to ensure that coordination with National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) and the SAR team runs smoothly," the Ministry of Tourism conveyed in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday, June 5, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Moving forward, the Ministry of Tourism will coordinate directly with natural tourism site operators to tighten monitoring at the entrance gates of volcanic climbing routes. This initiative aims to guarantee that no hikers or tourists venture onto trails while a volcano is under Waspada (Caution) or Siaga (Alert) status levels.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Tourism announced plans to conduct comprehensive audits of tour guides. The audits are designed to ensure guides strictly adhere to safety regulations and refuse any requests from tourists or hikers who want to approach dangerous volcanic zones for any reason, including documentation or social media content creation.

According to the ministry, the disaster that struck hikers and tourists at Mount Dukono last month represents a major tragedy for the national tourism industry.

"This is a major tragedy for our tourism industry. We deeply regret the violation of the danger zone. We hope this incident serves as a bitter lesson for all tourism stakeholders," the ministry expressed.

The Ministry of Tourism agreed with the Indonesian Disaster Experts Association (IABI), which stated that attempting to breach danger zones around active volcanoes is a reckless act that can lead to fatal consequences.

The Ministry of Tourism reported that based on the latest data, all hikers and tourists impacted by the Mount Dukono eruption have been accounted for.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescue teams successfully evacuated 17 Mount Dukono hikers on Friday, May 8, 2026, while three others were confirmed dead. The fatalities included one Indonesian citizen and two Singaporean nationals.

The Ministry of Tourism expressed its deep appreciation for the hard work of the joint team during the rescue and evacuation operations, while extending its profound condolences to the families of the victims. ***