A video showing a foreign tourist paragliding in the Mount Bromo area, East Java, has gone viral on social media, prompting concern from both local authorities and community leaders.
The footage shows a person wearing white clothing and a helmet flying a paraglider with an orange parachute canopy, gliding towards Mount Batok, a smaller volcano located directly beside Mount Bromo within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS).
It later emerged that the incident had taken place around two months ago and involved tourists from South Korea. According to local guide Efendy, the visitors brought their own paragliding equipment to the site.
“I was at the location at the time. I initially thought they were Indonesian. It turned out they were tourists from South Korea. After flying there, they immediately moved on to Bali,” Efendy told Detiknews on Friday (12 September 2025).
The tourists reportedly launched from a nearby elevation before landing on the sandy plain at the base of Mount Batok. The video quickly drew reactions online as paragliding is prohibited within the national park area.
Authorities Emphasise Ban on Paragliding in Bromo’s Sacred Zone
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Officials from the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park expressed regret over the incident, stressing that paragliding activities are not allowed due to both safety and cultural reasons.
“We do not allow it, especially since the Bromo area is a sacred place for the Tengger community,” said Septi Eka Wardhani, Head of the Administrative Division at the TNBTS Office.
Septi added that the park authorities are asking members of the public who may have information about the individuals involved to report it to the TNBTS Office.
She underlined that the park has never issued permission for any paragliding activities.
The incident also surprised local paragliding organisations. The Chairman of the Probolinggo Paragliding Association, Agung Priyo Jatmiko, stated that he was not aware of the flight.
“Usually, if my friends want to fly there, they will definitely let me know. Just to say ‘kulo nuwun’ (excuse me). There was no notification,” he told detikJatim.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the East Java Paragliding Association, Arif Eko Wahyudi, noted that the paragliding community understands that certain parts of the Bromo area are sacred to the Tengger people.
“We understand and respect that there are indeed sacred areas in Bromo. But not all of them. Only certain points. Proof of this is that we have held activities there several times,” Arif explained.
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa also responded, emphasising the need to protect Mount Bromo’s cultural and environmental significance.
In a statement on Sunday (14 September 2025), she said, “I appreciate the attention shown by BB TNBTS regarding the viral paragliding activity at Mount Bromo. As Governor of East Java, I would like to emphasise that we must preserve Bromo not only as a tourist destination but also as a conservation area, a sacred cultural heritage of the Tengger community, and part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.”
Khofifah added that she supports the swift action taken by TNBTS officials to clarify that the paragliding activity was not officially licensed. “This stance demonstrates a commitment to preserving Bromo as a conservation area,” she said.
