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THE PLAN to increase the entry ticket fare for Komodo National Park (TNK) by IDR3.75 million that would be implemented, effective January 1, 2023, was officially canceled.
According to Minester Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno during the coordination meeting themed “Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism and Creative Economy Transformation” in Jakarta on Thursday (12/15) said the plan has been canceled by the government. There would not be an increase for the Komodo National Park entrance fee.
However, the minister steered clear of furnishing further details regarding the revocation of the plan to increase the entrance fee to TNK. Earlier, in July, the Provincial Government of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) announced the increase in the entrance fee for Komodo National Park amounting to IDR3.75 million per person.
This plan triggered protests from tourism operators in the region and they went on strike as a form of protest against this policy until the NTT Provincial Government postponed increasing the tariffs until 2023.
Uno noted that the entrance fee for TNK is currently still referring to Government Regulation Number 12 of 2014 on Types and Tariffs for Non-Tax State Revenues that apply to the Ministry of Forestry and Environment, at around IDR150 thousand.
A month earlier, the public was also surprised by plans to increase the entrance fee for Borobudur Temple by IDR750 thousand for Indonesian citizens and US$100 for foreign tourists to limit the number of tourists entering the temple to only 1,200 people per day. On account of the protests by several parties, the plan was finally canceled.
The government’s earlier decision to increase the entrance fee aligned with conservation issues based on studies of TNK areas that have limited visitor capacity. There is a limit in place of as many as 200 thousand visits to the TNK area.
In addition, Uno observed the need to maintain the aspects of education, research, and sustainability to maintain the population of Komodo dragons in the area by limiting the number of visitors through an increase in the TNK entrance fee. [antaranews/photo special]
