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THE MINISTRY of Tourism and Creative Economy announced that Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) will be temporarily closed in 2025. The closure aims to improve the destination area for tourism activities.
According to the Ministry’s Senior Expert Staff, Nia Niscaya, in a press conference held in Jakarta, Monday (07/23), 2024, said it was true that Komodo National Park would be closed in the middle of next year.
The closure plan, she continued takes into account the number of tourists visiting, destination management and the capacity of the destination. This plan also presents challenges in educating the public about the ecosystem where Komodo dragons live, which needs to be improved.
“The plan to close the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) through the Komodo National Park Center (BTNK) is seen as a positive thing, namely an effort to improve the destination area for tourist activities,” she remarked.
On the other hand, he continued, the closure of tourist activities in Komodo National Park provides opportunities and effects for tourism stakeholders to present different attractions. This also has an impact on the government to provide product diversification outside the Komodo National Park. There are snorkeling, diving, tourist villages and there are several islands that we need to prepare.
Komodo National Park is a tourist destination that the government is currently focusing on improving. The government has also proposed various policies. One of them is the planned ticket price (HTM) for Komodo Island of IDR3.75 million per person per year. Previously, the government planned to implement ticket prize for Komodo Island at IDR3.75 million on August 1, 2022, which was then postponed to January 1, 2023.
However, this plan received protests from tourism stakeholders and local residents. So, the ticket price for Komodo Island is the same as before, namely IDR.5,000 per person for Indonesian citizens or Indonesian citizens on Sanin Saturday and IDR 7,500 on Sundays or national holidays.
Meanwhile, ticket prize for foreign citizens or foreigners is IDR150,000 per person if you visit Monday-Saturday. Meanwhile, if you visit on Sundays and national holidays, a ticket price of 225,000 per person per day will be charged.
Even the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, last year said that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy guaranteed that there would be no increase in the price of entry tickets to Komodo Island on January 1, 2023. This decision was the result of discussions over the past six months. We guarantee that there will be no increase in prices, we are committed to the safety and comfort of tourists, and we will continue to strive to increase the number of tourists. [antaranews/photo special]
