R

esidents of Komodo Island in West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, are taking full advantage of the growing number of cruise ships bringing thousands of foreign tourists to the province’s most famous tourism destination.

Rangers on Komodo provide services to the cruise passengers stopping at the island to observe the protected giant lizard, the Komodo dragon, at Loh Liang, the main tourist area of the Komodo National Park.

Meanwhile, residents of Komodo village sell souvenirs such as sculptures of the lizard and traditional Flores fabrics made locally, Komodo Dive Operator Community head Ica Marta Muslin told The Jakarta Post.

The local art and culture community also benefits from the growth in cruise ship tourism as various performances are staged to welcome the arrivals.

The passengers aboard the cruise ships that dock at Komodo Island can explore the surrounding area by visiting Loh Liang, soak in the sun at the famous Pink Beach or dive in the clear waters of the island.

Head of the West Manggarai branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Silvester Wangge, welcomed the economic boost provided by the growth in cruise ship visits.

Foreign tourists from cruise ships mostly explore local areas by renting fishermen’s boats for Rp 1.5 million (US$112) per day. The fees are higher if they order onboard food, which can cost Rp 3 million to Rp 4 million per day.

Both Ica and Silvester expressed the hope that local authorities would develop a cruise ship marina at Labuan Bajo, another iconic tourism destination in the regency, for ships to moor so visitors could also bolster the economy in that area.

The head of the Labuan Bajo seaport office Husin said recently that 13 cruise ships carrying foreign and domestic tourists had visited Komodo Island from January to March. The island welcomed 113 ships from overseas, including 24 cruise ships, throughout last year.

He said Australian-flagged cruise ship the Coral Discoverer docked in Rinca Island on Friday while Bahamian-flagged cruise ship the Seven Seas and another cruise ship were scheduled to berth on March 14 from Darwin, Australia, to visit the Komodo National Park.

The island, which has been hailed as a natural wonder, has seen a rise in popularity among tourists from European and Asian countries.

The eastern part of Indonesia has enjoyed a boom in cruise ship visits as several destinations have been included in the itineraries of foreign cruise ships, such as Komodo Island, Bali, Makassar and Raja Ampat in West Papua.

Still, despite the advantages enjoyed by local businesses, a recent incident also demonstrates that visiting cruise ships can cause environmental damage. Earlier this month the Caledonian Sky, a 90-meter British-flagged cruise ship, smashed into and destroyed 13,532 square meters of coral reefs in Raja Ampat.

The ship, with 102 tourists on board, passed through Raja Ampat waters to engage in birdwatching off Waigeo. However, the ship became trapped in shallow waters. An attempt by a boat to pull the ship out of the waters during a low tide caused damage to coral reefs in the area. It has been estimated that $18.6 million worth of damage was caused to the endemic reef, which environmentalists say could take decades to restore.