Ticket Price Increase Of Rp3.75 Million Entering Komodo Allegedly Smoothing Monopoly Interests, Residents Of West Manggarai Hold Demo

A number of residents who are members of the West Manggarai Tourism Rescue Community Forum protested the increase in ticket prices/ANTARA

WEST MANGGARAI - A number of residents who are members of the West Manggarai Tourism Rescue Community Forum protested the increase in ticket prices to several tourist points within the Komodo National Park (TNK), East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) area.

"We invite the government to re-examine several important points regarding the plan," said Chairman of the West Manggarai Tourism Rescue Community Forum, Rafael Todowela in the presence of West Manggarai Regent Edistasius Endi at the West Manggarai Regent's Office, Antara, Monday, July 18.

A number of residents in the association of tourism actors expressed their aspirations through a demonstration in front of the West Manggarai Regent's Office.

According to them, the policy of increasing the entrance fee by Rp3.75 million per person for a period of one year effective August 1, 2022 is very detrimental to the people of West Manggarai and NTT who have been living from the tourism sector.

They assume that an increase in ticket prices which is very expensive has the potential to reduce the number of tourists coming to Flores.

With the construction of exclusive resorts in conservation areas, limited and exclusive visitors will be seized by companies that have been given permission to operate within KNP areas.

The policy is considered to have killed the livelihoods of the people who are generally small and medium in scale. This is detrimental to the tourism community and hampers post-pandemic economic recovery

"At this time, a number of tourists have canceled their visits when they heard the information about this ticket increase," said Rafael.

They considered that the policy marginalized local residents because of the monopolistic practice of the tourism business in the hands of a few people by positioning PT Flobamora and other business partners to become the rulers of tourism on Komodo Island and Padar Island.

"This quota-based visit controlled by the PT has the potential to harm local tourism actors because it will lead to unfair competition," he said.

On some of these critical notes, the West Manggarai Tourism Rescue Community Forum urged the government to cancel the Rp3.75 million ticket.

They urged the government to revoke all permits for companies, both private and state-owned, that have obtained tourism business permits in the KNP area.

"For us, apart from endangering conservation, the presence of these companies creates a monopoly on the tourism business in the Komodo National Park area, which marginalizes local residents," he said.

Rafael continued the forum encouraging the government to stop this discourse in managing KNP and urging the government to allocate a large budget to encourage the performance of KNP Balai as conservation guards and encourage community involvement as active actors in conservation and community tourism.