TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) tourism agency Zet Sony Libing on Monday confirmed to Tempo that it has officially postponed increasing the entry fee to Komodo Island and Padar Island. He said that NTT Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat decided to postpone it until the end of this year, or December 31.

This effectively means that the entry fee of Rp3.75 million per individual into Komodo and Padar islands will be implemented on January 1, 2023.

“The provincial government will disseminate this plan in depth to every stakeholder,” said Libing on August 8.

The chairman of the Regional Representative Council of the Indonesian Youth National Committee of West Manggarai Regency (DPD KNPI Mabar), Sergius Tri Deddy, admitted that he welcomed the policy. However, this move was not immediately accepted as something pleasant for the people of West Manggarai.

He insisted that it was far more important for the community that the policy was not a matter of delay, but rather considerations of the fate of tourism if the tariff increase was forced to be applied. Reports recently suggested the announcement of the increased tariff was followed by tourists canceling their trips.

"From here, we can determine that the local government make policies with studies that are not yet comprehensive and constructive," said Sergius in a written statement, Monday, August 8.

Sergius emphasized that the government should instead conduct research, especially regarding the economic accessibility of tourists, whether they are dominated by upper-class tourists or lower middle-class tourists.

"The government should not only pursue profit goals without understanding the real conditions of the tourists," he said.

In terms of the Komodo Island entry fee increase, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno once stated that the cost of Rp3.7 million was the total cost of conservation in the form of ecosystem service value for one year.

The figures, said Sandiaga, were obtained through a series of studies from experts. The value of ecosystem services in question is natural resources that support the survival of living entities, such as water, oxygen, and food sources, and includes the management of waste generated by tourists.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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