Astindo Ask Jokowi To Cancel The Increase In Komodo National Park Entrance Tickets

President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (Astindo) Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), appealed to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to cancel the planned increase in ticket prices for Komodo National Park (TN).

"With the arrival of President Jokowi today, we ask that Mr. Jokowi can cancel the planned increase in the price of the Komodo National Park entrance ticket which is planned to take effect on August 1", said Astindo Labuan Bajo Chairman, Ignasius Suradin, from Labuan Bajo, quoted from Antara, Thursday, July 21.

Representing the Astindo management, he expressed his appreciation to President Jokowi who continues to visit Labuan Bajo, which according to him, shows the President's concern for Labuan Bajo, which is now a super premium tourism destination.

He also asked President Jokowi to stop all the noise and polemics related to the discourse and the planned increase in the price of admission to Komodo National Park.

"We also ask President Jokowi to issue a presidential decree or government regulation so that the management of Komodo National Park is not handed over to third parties", he added.

In addition, Ignasius emphasized that his party along with several other tourism actors also urged Jokowi to revoke all permits for private companies that had plotted Komodo National Park.

"Hopefully Mr. Jokowi's visit can inaugurate several national strategic projects so that they can be opened and can be visited by tourists, for example, Batu Cermin, Loh Buaya Rinca Island, and several others", he added.

Ignasius also added that if the price of admission to Komodo National Park increases from IDR 200 thousand per person to IDR 3.7 million per person, it is feared that it will cut the income of tourism actors in the area because it has an impact on tourist visits.