Sleman's Volcano Tour Attracts Touirists

Sleman, Yogyakarta, Dec 26 (ANTARA) - Sleman`s volcano tour, which begins on the slopes of the Merapi Mountain (Cangkringan sub district, Sleman district, Yogyakarta), has attracted many tourists this holiday season (Christmas), according to a spokesman for the Lava Tour Jeep Tourism. "We have seen an increase in the number of visitors this holiday season (Christmas). People want to see the Merapi Mountain after its eruption in 2010," said Feri Widiantoro, the Lava Tour Jeep Tourism coordinator, on Tuesday. "People can rent jeeps. There are 43 jeeps. Usually, a jeep is used for one trip only," he said. He said a jeep can be used for two trips on December 25 (Christmas). "Around 500 visitors get to the mountain by a jeep. Most of them come from Bandung, Jakarta, Semarang and other cities," he said. Widiantoro stated that during a holiday season, the cost of renting a jeep is Rp300,000 (US$31.09). On the other hand, the off-peak fare is Rp250,000 (US$25.91). "The cost of renting a jeep is higher during a holiday season because the road leading to the volcano tour is very crowded. Hence, more fuel is required. Moreover, the distance between Tlogo Putri and the Merapi summit is huge," he said. Meanwhile, the Sleman Tourism and Culture Service`s marketing division�s head, Nurhadiyati, said all the tourist spots in Sleman are popular. "Most of the tourists go on a volcano tour (located in the Kaliurang sub district). They also visit other tourist spots," she added. Several tourism village packages have been booked by tourists, she said. Nurhdiyati hopes that around 15,000 visitors will visit the tourist spots in Sleman, such as the Gunungapi Volcano Museum, the Prambanan Temple, the Jogja Kembali Monument, the Boko Temple and other tourism villages on December 25 and January 1, 2013 (Christmas and New Year). "Around 14,000 tourists had visited the region during the holiday season (December) in 2011. We hope that 15,000 tourists will visit the region this year," she said.