Indonesia’s Komodo Island Beset by Confusion, Not Overtourism
Skift Take
A final, clear decision on whether Komodo Island or Komodo National Park will be closed must be made, and ample time given to businesses should it be a go. What a mess.
A decision to close Komodo Island, one of Indonesia’s most important attractions, will only be made at the end of this year, contrary to reports early this year that the island would be closed for one year from January 2020.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the body that has the authority to close the island, made the announcement on its website.
The announcement will hopefully end massive confusion that started when the governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Viktor Laiskodat, announced at a forum in Kupang on November 21 last year that the island would be closed for a year.
Komodo Island is part of the UNESCO-listed Komodo National Park, a cluster of islands in East Nusa Tenggara.
But the damage has been done. “Many travel bookings were cancelled due to the news,” said Jonathan Thamrin, owner of tour company Travacello.
This, despite the fact that even if Komodo Island was closed, visitors could still see the rare dragons in the wild in Rinca Island, which, along with Padar Island and numerous other smaller islands, comprises Komodo National Park.
The national park covers a land area of 219,322 hectares and a sea area of 173,300 hectares, according to UNESCO. Part of the ensuing confusion is that visitors thi
