Despite little improvement in facilities, the number of tourists visiting Komodo National Park in West Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is increasing.

The park is also becoming a favorite destination among domestic and international tourists, especially those arriving on cruise ships.

In the January-February period of this year, the park recorded 3,210 tourist arrivals on board international cruise ships.

Meanwhile, the number of tourists visiting the park in 2015 stood at 15,230, park spokesperson Margaretha Priska said.

There has been no significant improvement in tourist facilities. Holidaymakers who come to the site on cruise ships have to wait for smaller boats to pick them up as there is no deep-water port to accommodate cruise ships.

Cruise ships visiting the site must wait in the open sea for tourists to be transported to Komodo Island on boats belonging to local fishermen.

“Currently, the local administration is discussing a plan to set up an agency that will manage tourist visits to Komodo Island and other destinations across Flores,” park head Helmy said on Tuesday.

He said foreign tourists visiting Komodo Island typically came from Australia, the US and several European and Asian countries. Their main objectives were to see rare Komodo dragons on the island and to dive in the surrounding waters.

“The cruise ship visits are economically beneficial for local fishermen, the owners of the boats rented to transport the tourists,” he said.

Local tourism activist Ferdinandus Watu said Indonesia would become a target market for cruise ships in the next 10 years, adding that cruise ship operators would put destinations in Southeast Asia, China and Australia on their itineraries.

He said tourists from northern parts of the world mostly sought tropical destinations to spend their holidays between November and February. Most of those cruise ships moor in Singapore, creating huge opportunities for Indonesia to enjoy benefits from the industry.

However, some question whether Indonesia is ready to take advantage of the opportunities.

Ferdinandus said some of the reasons cruise ships chose to go to Thailand or Malaysia instead of Indonesia were because illegal levies were still rampant, transparency was weak and regulations often made cruise ship management difficult.

The situation worsens in light of the lack of infrastructure, including air-conditioned vehicles, money changers and port facilities.

A lack of supporting facilities, Ferdinandus added, made it difficult for Flores to accommodate cruise ships carrying more than 300 tourists. So far, only ships carrying less than 150 passengers have visited the island.

“I got this report when I attended a three-day Miami cruise ship expo in Florida, the US, in March 2015, which was participated in by 900 exhibitors and 11,000 attendees from 125 countries,” said Ferdinandus.

He added that charm and rich flora and fauna had earned Flores the title of most unique destination during the 2010 Indonesia Tourism Awards. Lonely Planet also named Flores and Komodo among its best destinations in 2015.

Separately, senior tour guide Gabriel Pampur said cruise ships in the region had a significant economic impact on locals who sold souvenirs.

Other impacts included an increase in the regency’s income as a tourist is charged Rp 50,000 to enter the park, Gabriel said.

He expressed hope that the West Manggarai administration could show creativity in providing tourists with the best services and facilities.

“If the administration is smart, it will prepare a welcome ceremony and drink for cruise ship visitors. In fact, none of its staff were seen welcome them. They just collect the money but forget the service,” Gabriel said.

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