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THE EAST Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Tourism Office has set a limit on visits and a fee of IDR3.75 million for tourists who will enter Komodo National Park. The fee includes entrance tickets, souvenirs, compensation for ecosystem services, as well as conservation fees which are valid for one person for 1 year.
This means that tourists who have paid this price can enter Komodo National Park more than once a year without buying another ticket. This determination is in order to maintain the survival of the Komodo dragon so that it remains in accordance with its natural habitat and is not affected by the presence of humans, in this case tourists.
According to the Head of the NTT Tourism Office, Sony Zeth Libing in the Weekly Press Briefing of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Monday (7/11) said that the policy will take effect on August 1. We have a plan, on 29 [July] we will launch and on August 1 we will promote it. Only valid on Padar and Komodo Islands including Pink Beach.
“I believe that the presence of Komodo dragons and their surrounding ecosystem is a legacy and gift from the Creator that must be preserved by all parties. Therefore, the NTT Provincial Government asked the central government today the Ministry of Environment and Forestry [KLHK] to participate in protecting the Komodo dragon and its ecosystem. It has been approved by the Minister of KLHK. So the people of NTT participate in maintaining the ecosystem as a social responsibility and gratitude,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Implementing Coordinator of the Function Strengthening Program at Komodo National Park, Carolina Noge, said that the fee is valid for one year on the grounds that conservation activities are carried out every year.
“The amount of fees that apply for one year is made based on a study of the number of visitors with the amount of fees charged. Previously, the recommendation for the lower limit for the fee amounted to IDR2.8 million and the upper limit of IDR5.8 million per person with the number of visitors from 219,000 to 291,000 people per year,” she said.
Carolina explained that basically conservation is usually a compensation fee given due to the decrease in ecosystem services with every arrival. Ecosystem services can be in the form of oxygen, water, and waste. So we give the figure of 200,000 [visitors] with compensation of IDR3.75 million per person. Why is it applied annually? Because our conservation efforts are also carried out in one year.
She further explained, if logically, when a tourist comes to Komodo Island, he will take out the trash, take the available water, and dispose of the waste.
“This condition needs to be handled with a conservation program, one of which is compensation and contributions from these visitors. At the end of each year’s conservation, tourists will receive an accountability report related to the types of efforts that have been made based on their contribution,” she concluded. [sources/photo special]
