REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PANGKALPINANG -- All hotel rooms in Bangka Belitung (Babel) Province have been fully booked by tourists and scientists keen to watch the total solar eclipse (TSE) on March 9.

Thousands of domestic and foreign tourists are expected to visit the province during the rare natural phenomenon, K.A. Tajuddin, head of the Babel tourist office, stated here on Monday.

They have made reservations in hotels in Pangkalpinang, Central Bangka, Belitung, and East Belitung for their stay from Sunday (March 6) to Wednesday (March 9), he added.

The TSE, lasting for two minutes and 10 seconds, will be visible in Belitung, East Belitung, and Central Bangka at 6 a.m. local time and on Belitung Island at 6:21 a.m. local time.

"We are grateful as the TSE's momentum has been able to attract tourists, scientists, and students from throughout the country and the world to visit Babel," he remarked.

He encouraged the local inhabitants to use the momentum to boost their businesses, for instance, by offering their extra rooms as homestay to tourists, selling accessories, and serving traditional food and beverages.

The upcoming TSE will be visible for some two to three minutes in 45 cities and districts in 12 provinces.

The 12 Indonesian provinces are Bengkulu, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Jambi, Babel, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, and North Maluku.

The Indonesian government, however, will organize the main event in Babel Province. President Joko Widodo will be in Tanjung Kelayang, Belitung Island, to witness the natural phenomenon.

"We are optimistic that the president would be present here during the extremely rare TSE phenomenon," Babel Governor Rustam Effendi emphasized recently.

Babel has been chosen to host the peak event since the location is 150 square kilometers from where the event can be observed, and most of its waters lie in the path of the eclipse.

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