Weather can play havoc with travel plans. Flights get delayed or even cancelled. Hotels have to close their doors. Theme parks stop operating. Still, there's nothing makes people rethink a vacation quicker than a volcano going off. Ash clouds the air as tremors shake the ground and rivers pour from the crater. It's a strange combination of awe inspiring and horrifying. And Sicily's Mount Etna is currently having that effect on tourists, making some reconsider their plans.
Mount Etna is the tallest and most active volcano in Europe, regularly putting on shows that include ash, earthquakes, and even a touch of lava. The February 11 eruption was a bit more spectacular. Bocca Nuova, the southeast crater, was responsible for the show that sent a plume of smoke and ash into the sky that was followed by a river of lava pouring down the side of the mountain.
So far, the eruption has caused minimal damage to any of the nearby communities, which is certainly something to be happy about. There have been some travel disruptions that are mostly related to reduced visibility. Catania–Fontanarossa Airport on the island's east coast has had to cancel some flights and even shut down part of the airport due to safety concerns. Beyond that, there has been little impact on tourists in the area.
Hiking tours of Mount Etna have continued, just away from the eruption area, of course. Mount Etna actually goes off quite regularly, at least a few times a year. And it hasn't caused any significant damage to nearby communities since the 1800s. The locals are highly experienced in dealing with it. As such, services related to tourism generally continue without issue, as long as the safety of both visitors and locals is not compromised.