The entrance ticket to Komodo Island is now pegged at IDR 3.75 million per person. The policy, which has been in effect since August 1, 2022, has drawn polemics from local and foreign tourists. In response to this, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto will re-evaluate the number of admission tickets to Komodo Island.
“Later we will evaluate and later we will see again because there is indeed conservation and rehabilitation being carried out,” said Airlangga, quoted Thursday (4/8).
According to Airlangga, the government still has to consider restrictions on tourists who will visit one of the super-priority destinations in Indonesia.
“In addition, there is a limitation on the number of (tourists). Of course, we will pay attention and we will discuss it with the technical ministry,” Airlangga added.
Previously, due to the surge in ticket prices, tourism entrepreneurs, including travel agents from Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, went on strike from August 1 to 3, 2022.
The Association of Tourism Actors and Individual tourism actors in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) unites perceptions in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to stop tourism activities in tourist areas in August.
The ‘simultaneous strike’ agreement was part of their protest regarding the government’s plan to increase the price of admission to Komodo Island to Rp3.7 million per person on August 1, 2022.
“We have agreed to stop all types of tourism services in the National Park Islands and all tourist destinations in West Manggarai from 1-31 August 2022,” said the Coordinator of Tourism Actors and Individual Tourism Actors of West Manggarai Regency, Rafael Taher.
The tourism actors such as tourist boat owners, owners of land transportation service providers, restaurant owners, hotel owners, photographers, guides, and culinary business people.
Rafael emphasized that their action was a form of protest against tourism actors in West Manggarai related to the policy of increasing the entrance fee to the Komodo National Park by the NTT Provincial Government.
For information, Komodo Park is the oldest national park in Indonesia. This area was established on March 6, 1980, with an area of 173,000 hectares.
Komodo National Park has received several international awards. These include Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1977, World Heritage Site in 1991, and The New 7 Wonder of Nature in 2011.
This area is a natural habitat for rare animals, namely Komodo dragons. Based on data in 2018 the number of Komodo dragons in this national park is approximately 2,872 individuals. So do not be surprised if the most famous place in this area is Komodo Island.
Komodo Island is one of the favorite destinations for foreign tourists. Therefore, the increase in tickets is felt to be detrimental to many parties.
