Sandi Uno Makes Sure There Are No Cancellations Or Delays The Fee For Visits To Komodo National Park Is IDR 3.75 Million Per Person

Komodo island. (Didi Kurniawan/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno ensured that there would be no cancellation or delay in the increase in the cost of visiting the Komodo National Park (TN) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) of Rp3.75 million per person for a year.

"Nothing today, the delay or cancellation is how we organize so that this information can be digested and understood by tourists and tourism actors in Labuan Bajo and NTT," said Sandiaga Uno after participating in the 2022 PHRI biketour ride activity in Bogor City, reported by Antara. from Antara, Saturday 6 August.

Sandi explained that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has coordinated with the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) to follow up on better public communication through socialization and education about conservation and economic recovery efforts in Komodo Island and Labuan Bajo.

Then, in accordance with President Jokowi's orders to monitor a conducive, safe, comfortable, and enjoyable situation for tourists and creative economy players, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will also coordinate with institutional ministries and also with local provincial and district governments.

"Thirdly, there should be no turmoil that destroys the narrative of our tourism revival. It is proven that our economy is rising because tourism can reach 10 percent," said Sandi.

He appealed not to let positive narratives about economic growth that have been built so far. According to the rankings released by the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 published in May 2022, Indonesia's economy in the tourism sector has surpassed Thailand in position 32 out of 117 countries in the world.

"We have succeeded in being a country that has handled this pandemic tarnished because of a lack of understanding of conservation policies and the economy together," he said.

On Monday, July 11, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno stated that the cost of visiting the Komodo National Park (TN) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) was IDR 3.75 million per person for a year for the overall cost of the conservation of the destination.

The fee only applies to Komodo Island, Padar Island, and some surrounding waters. The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy stated that the government is focused on developing quality and sustainable tourism that will provide benefits from an economic and environmental perspective.

However, on Saturday 30 July, the Coordinator of Tourism Actors and Individual Tourism Actors of West Manggarai Regency, Rafael Taher, said that the association of tourism actors in West Manggarai Regency agreed to stop all types of tourism services in the National Park Islands and in all tourist destinations in West Manggarai starting from 1- August 31, 2022.

The tourism actors consist of tour boat owners, land transportation service providers, restaurant and hotel owners, photographers, tour guides to culinary business actors.

This action is a form of protest against tourism actors in West Manggarai related to the policy of increasing the entrance fee for Komodo National Park by the NTT provincial government. The association also assessed that PT Flobamor, a Regional-Owned Enterprise (BUMD) owned by the NTT government, had a strong monopoly on the tourism sector in West Manggarai.

Responding to that, on Thursday August 4, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto said the government would evaluate the price of admission to Komodo Island which reached Rp3.75 million per person starting August 1, 2022 related to the strike action of the Association of Tourism Actors and Individuals of tourism actors in Labuan Bajo, Nusa Tenggara. East.

Airlangga said the government still had to consider the restrictions on tourists who would visit one of the Super Priority Destinations in Indonesia.