27th September 2022 – The increase in the entrance fee to Komodo National Park (KNP) has been postponed to January 2023. This matter has been confirmed by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, on 9th August 2022. The new price for Komodo National Park will be IDR 3,75 million per person.
The increase of the entrance fee to KNP has sparked a few debates, to the point of travel agencies stopping their services in a form of protest. This, leading the new price being delayed until next year.
Despite that, there are a few tourists who have tried the new entrance fee price to Komodo National Park on Thursday (22/9). The Operational Director of PT Flobamor Abner Esau Ataupah said that the first four tourists to visit with the new fee are from Timor Leste.
They were visiting the KNP on Thursday and returned to Labuan Bajo on Sunday (25/9) with the plan of returning to Timor Leste on the 26th.
According to Esau Ataupah, the implementation of the new entrance fee for tourists on September 2022 is still optional. Tourists have the option to pick either the normal tour package or the one that will be implemented on 1st January 2023.
The four tourists from Timor Leste have ordered their entrance fee tickets to super premium tourist destinations through an application called Ini Sa.
Through the application launched in December 2021, every tourist visiting Komodo National Park and Padar Island can be monitored. After ordering their tickets in the application, the tourists then choose the services of a travel agent.
He explained further that in his plans for the visit to the KNP at the start of 1st January 2023, tourists will be required to buy a membership of the Komodo Wildlife conservation contribution package.
The price of the package will be IDR 15 million for four people a year. He hopes that through the visits of more tourists, more hospitality and services will be provided at a maximum. Thus, more tourists will be visiting the Komodo National Park.
