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EN
Indonesian media outlets on November 15th simultaneously published the latest statement from the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara province regarding the welcoming of tourists to Komodo Island – home to the famous Komodo dragon.
Specifically, Governor Victor Laiskodat stated that East Nusa Tenggara is on Lonely Planet's list of "Best Destinations of 2020," therefore: "Tourists who come here are usually wealthy. Poor people shouldn't come... We already have many poor people on the island, we don't need to welcome more," Laiskodat said. Thus, poor tourists will not be welcome on Komodo Island because it will be transformed into an upscale tourist destination exclusively for wealthy customers.
East Nusa Tenggara was once one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia. The main source of income for the people on the island depended on tourism.
With this development direction in mind, Governor Laiskodat and the local government have also proposed a plan involving a significant fee for tourists wishing to visit Komodo Island. According to the plan, the ticketing system will be divided into two categories. Special membership tickets will allow entry to Komodo Island to see the dragons for $1,000 per year. Meanwhile, regular members will only be allowed to visit other islands within Komodo National Park, where these dragons also live, but in smaller sizes. Currently, the entrance fee for one tourist is 150,000 Rupiah (approximately $11).
Previously, the government of this country sparked controversy with its plan to close Komodo Island by 2020 because the number of these rare animals was believed to be seriously threatened.
According to documents from the local government, there are currently 1,727 Komodo dragons living on the island of the same name and 1,049 on Rinca – another island in the 29-island system of Komodo National Park. Komodo dragons are large lizards, reaching a maximum length of 3 meters and weighing around 70 kg. These animals have two venom glands under their jaws that secrete various toxic proteins. Their main food source is deer and carrion.
Komodo dragons are large lizards, reaching a maximum length of 3 meters and weighing around 70 kg.
In 2018, more than 176,000 tourists visited Komodo National Park, an increase of 44,000 compared to 2008. Komodo National Park was recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in 1991 and was once listed by National Geographic as one of the world's top 10 destinations.
