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More accessible but pricier: Komodo Island to become premium destination
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A young Komodo dragon spotted in the wild on Komodo Island. (Shutterstock/Kjersti Joergensen)
K
omodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is set to become a premium tourist destination with the local authority finalizing a plan to raise ticket prices and upgrade the local airport to serve international routes.
The plan to make Komodo Island a premium destination has been pursued after the central government began looking for ways to limit tourist numbers on the island through ticketing.
Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority head Shana Fatina Sukarsono said the term “premium” was fitting because NTT, especially Komodo Island, was a unique destination, unlike anywhere else in the world.
"Premium does not mean expensive. It means authenticity and luxury. That is the kind of feeling we want to convey," Shana told a press briefing on Friday.
She said that increasing the ticket price to enter Komodo Island would be discussed in early 2020 with a team from the Environment and Forestry Ministry, and that the deliberation process could take a whole year.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan previously called for a membership fee of Rp 14 million (US$1,000) to enter the island.
"It was one idea, but we want to conduct a study to determine an appropriate price first, as we need to make sure the [ticket] revenue can cover the cost of maintaining Komodo National Park," Shana said.
