Indonesia’s Huge Price Hike for Komodo Park Exposes Tourism Dilemmas for a New Era
Photo Credit: Komodo dragon Unsplash / David Clode
Skift Take
Indonesia is taking a more locals-first and sustainable approach to tourism. Implementing that approach will be sabotaged if the government doesn't absorb input from local industry stakeholders.
The Indonesian government is putting off until next year the exorbitant hike in the admission fee for the country's famed Komodo National Park after a strike by local tour operators who see it as a crushing blow to their livelihoods. The situation showcases a conflict between conservation efforts, overtourism mitigation, local tourism industry stakeholders and community development.
The government intends to raise the park’s entry fee from $10.05 (150,000 rupiah) to $252 (3.75 million rupiah) — a 25 times increase. The entry fee will help preserve the habitat of the Komodo dragon, which is listed as endangered by the International Union Conservation of Nature Red List due to the habitat loss caused by humans and climate change.
The original price hike date was set for August 1 but was postponed to January 1, 2023 after hundreds of tour operators from over 20 tour operator associations started a month-long strike that garnered international media attention.
Raising the entry fee of popular tourist attractions is the late
