The best we can do to help, if we cannot actually visit is to help promote it as a tourist destination.
many parts of lombok were not destroyed physically by the quakes/etc. but people just stopped visiting.
There are now new airport links with Australia and this should help too.
Do your best to support places you have visited there by highlighting them , talking about how you enjoyed the place, the beaches, etc. Show photos and help to lift those struggling small businesses profiles.
Maybe the forum/website could do a promotional profile on Lombok/Gilis/Sulawesi to help raise the profile and help the people who were affected by the events of last year?
@Bad_azz Thank you for your love to the Gilis and I am sure you are not the only one,but I do appreciate for your concern and kind thoughts.
I do not own the Gilis nor have a single property in the gilis but I do love the gilis as much as you do, but Lombok has become my home and has moved Jakarta as my primary home and I started my business in Lombok in 2011 providing travel packages to both Lombok and Sumbawa.
Some says NTB (abbreviation for Nusa Tenggara Barat/West Nusa Tenggara) stands for 'Nasib Tergantung Bali or in direct translation means "Fate depends on Bali" is ridiculous, the fact that Bali and Lombok have their own cultures and tradition and not to mention nature beauty. Both have their own brand, Bali is known as island of Gods and island with millions of temples whilst Lombok is known as island with millions of mosques. This is called Island Branding, something that some people is not yet familiar with.
I was in Lombok when the big quake hit and my travel business was totally stopped, I did not make any money, I went to Gili T after the quake and it was that time I saw 3 vehicles for the first time moving around and cleaning up the island from wreckage and debris in the island .
But we must move forward and rebuild the gilis, it may not be exactly like it used to be but hopefully much better than before. And I know that this is not the responsibility of the local government ( don't want to go far about it) but also the business and the tourists in promoting the gilis so people will return to the gilis.
But the main issue is not just how to make people return by rebuilding it, but there should be an effort to give education to local people and business how to prepare themselves for natural disaster.
When the big quake hit, I was standing on the streets with many people and we held each other hands and scared, but i saw a guy still inside his supermarket trying to pick up all the merchandise on the floor instead of staying away from building. This shows that some people just don't know yet how to prepare in natural disaster.
So in promoting the gilis is not just about how to make people return by showing pictures of the beautiful beaches and stunning sea ion instagram but also building the natural disaster awareness to the locals.
Northern Gilis is more popular than Southern Gilis (Sekotong) but for those who love islands, southern gilis is most secure and less affected (or none actually) and more peaceful and has many diving sites and snorkeling points.
IMHO