Tourism industry representatives yesterday said that the sector is monitoring whether potential volcanic eruption in Iceland is likely to disrupt travel to Europe.
The Nordic country issued a red alert to the aviation industry on Saturday after scientists identified a small eruption at the Bardarbunga volcano under the ice cap, meaning that significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere is likely. However, it lowered the alert level yesterday.
The red alert reminded many of the air traffic chaos caused by another volcano in Iceland in 2010.
Ashes from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and possible damage to aircraft engines caused European authorities to close affected airspace for five days, which led to more than 100,000 canceled flights and stranded millions of passengers in airports across the globe.
Beyond a no-fly zone near Bardarbunga, Icelandic airports remain open as of press time last night.
The volcano is in an uninhabited area about 320km east of the capital, Reykjavik.
The Tourism Bureau yesterday said that Taiwanese tourists are not likely to visit the area near the eruption, adding that it is in the process of confirming whether there are any Taiwanese tour groups in Iceland now.
The peak season for travel in northern Europe is between May and mid-September, with an average of between 20 and 30 tour groups in the region each month, according to Travel Agent Association secretary-general Roget Hsu (許高慶).
He said that the tour groups that spend about a week or more in northern European countries would generally include visit to Iceland as well.
However, as the peak season is about to end, there are likely to be just a few Taiwanese tour groups in the region, he added.
Hsu said that travel agencies are more concerned about whether volcanic ash would again disrupt air traffic in Europe and force air carriers to cancel or change flights.
All tour groups in Europe would feel repercussions if the worst-case scenario occurs, not just those in Northern Europe, he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not changed the travel alert for Iceland, which has been “gray” since June.
Based on the ministry’s travel alert scale, “gray” means that travelers are reminded about the potential danger in traveling in a certain country.
“In view of frequent volcanic activity in Iceland, those heading to the country should consult the updated information on weather and volcanoes posted at Icelandic Meteorological Office before departure,” the ministry said.
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