Just over a year on from a devastating subsea eruption, hotels and resorts in South Tonga are still dealing with the aftermath.
While South Pacific islands are still idyllic as ever, those arriving in Nukuʻalofa still get a sense of the disruption to infrastructure and livelihoods that the tsunami brought.
Much-amended guides and pamphlets are covered with amendments and lists of resorts and services that are still closed or destroyed completely.
On January 15 the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcano triggered an enormous explosive eruption, just 60 km off the shore of Tongatapu. Visible from space, the effects were felt as far afield as New Zealand and Japan.
In the nearby Kingdom of Tonga, four people were killed by sea surges that rocked the remote islands.
Tourism is still a mainstay for the islands’ economy. Cruise ships returned to Tonga in October last year, following a pause during the Covid pandemic. Compared to brick and mortar.
One New Zealand tourist, recently returned, said the trip was enjoyable but there were signs of the eruption everywhere.
“A year on, many of the beaches remain closed (roads are washed out), many of the owners of resorts have simply decided not to rebuild,” they said.
The What’s On Tonga contained a long list of amendments for tourists. On the West of Tongatapu, which was worst affected, several resorts are listed as “destroyed by the HTHH eruption and subsequent Tsunami.”
“Cruise ships are still visiting but the island is still trying to figure out what tourists want in terms of their experience there,” said. As far as they were concerned Tonga delivered on all its promises, with plenty of beaches to swim at and a place to get a cool drink, but the aftermath of the HTHH was sobering.