Floresa.co – Indonesia has formally enforced a daily visitor quota at Komodo National Park as of April, following a trial period that began in January.
The Komodo National Park Authority (BTNK) says the policy is aimed at protecting conservation efforts and preserving the park’s international status as the natural habitat of the endangered Komodo dragon.
“We have conducted simulations and set the maximum quota based on a Carrying Capacity and Carrying Capability assessment,” said Hendrikus Rani Siga, head of BTNK, in an April 1 statement.
Under the policy, visitor numbers are capped at 1,000 people per day, based on a 2018 study that set the park’s annual carrying capacity at 366,108 visitors.
The study was conducted by the Bali–Nusa Tenggara Ecoregional Development Control Center (P3E Bali Nusra) in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
It focused on three major land‑based tourist sites—Loh Buaya on Rinca Island, the southern zone of Padar Island, and Loh Liang on Komodo Island—as well as 23 designated diving locations.
Managing Visitor Distribution
BTNK says the quota policy is also intended to distribute visitor numbers more evenly throughout the year.
According to official data, visits peaked at 63,133 tourists in July, compared with just 12,609 visitors in January.
The authority also aims to reduce congestion on specific days, noting that arrivals tend to spike on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Hendrikus described the policy as “non‑negotiable,” citing the park’s three international designations: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
“Without proper conservation and visitor management, those designations are at risk,” he said. “If they are revoked, everyone stands to lose.”
He added that the scientific assessment underpinning the policy has already been published.
Failure to implement it, he said, could be flagged as a compliance issue under UNESCO monitoring.
Economic Rationale Beyond the Park
Beyond conservation concerns, BTNK argues the policy could help redistribute tourism revenue beyond the park itself.
By limiting daily access to the park, visitors are expected to spend more time in Labuan Bajo, the mainland gateway town, rather than entering the park immediately.
“Local governments should treat this as an opportunity,” he said.
In 2025, Labuan Bajo recorded 500,008 tourist arrivals, of which 432,217 visited Komodo National Park.
The remaining visitors traveled to destinations outside the park managed by the West Manggarai local government.
Technical and Operational Challenges
Maria Rosdalima Panggur, coordinator for cooperation, public relations, and services at BTNK, said total visits between January and March reached 42,874, far below the quota‑based target of 90,000 for that period.
“This reflects seasonal low demand early in the year, as well as temporary closures,” she said, referring to restrictions imposed in January due to severe weather.
During the trial period, the park’s SiOra online booking system also failed to consistently enforce the daily limit.
“We set the system at 1,000 visitors per day, but on at least one occasion the cap was exceeded because the system did not automatically block additional bookings,” Maria said.
Ideally, she said, reservations should be rejected once the quota is reached.
“We are testing the policy while simultaneously fixing these technical issues,” she said.
Payment processing—particularly transactions via Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI)—also presented challenges, prompting further system revisions.
Hendrikus said an internal evaluation is ongoing.
“We are reviewing whether the application is functioning as intended,” he said.
Industry Adaptation Still Lagging
Beyond technical issues, Hendrikus criticized some tourism operators for assuming visitors could still enter the park without advance booking.
“We expect tour agents and operators to adapt by redesigning their travel packages,” he said. “If the quota is full, entry should not be forced.”
Responding to reports of tourists being denied access to Padar Island’s, he said such incidents were part of the adjustment period.
“This should be treated as an adaptation year,” he said. “But tour operators should not assume the rules are flexible simply because this began as a trial.”
Conservation Claims vs. Corporate Concessions
The government’s conservation‑based rationale for limiting visitor numbers has drawn criticism, particularly in light of corporate business permits inside the park.
Members of the Ata Modo Indigenous community raised the issue during a meeting with BTNK on March 5.
Akbar Al Ayyubi, representing the Komodo Island Community Alliance, questioned the logic of enforcing strict visitor quotas while allowing large‑scale corporate investment.
“If conservation is enforced because the ecosystem is under threat, how can investors be allowed to develop resorts on Padar Island?” he said.
He cited PT Komodo Wildlife Ecotourism, a firm linked to Indonesian tycoon Tomy Winata and a family member of former House Speaker Setya Novanto, which has plans to develop a tourism complex involving more than 600 structures in northern Padar Island.
The company controls 151.94 hectares on Padar Island and holds an additional 274.13‑hectare concession on former Ata Modo customary land near Loh Liang, Komodo Island’s main tourist entry point.
Floresa records show two other firms—PT Segara Komodo Lestari and PT Synergindo Niagatama—hold Tourism Facilities Concession Permits (IUPSWA), covering 22.1 hectares on Rinca Island and 15.32 hectares on Tatawa Island, respectively.
UNESCO Oversight Cited
Hendrikus said business permits in Komodo National Park are governed by zoning regulations and subject to strict oversight.
“These concessions operate under their own regulatory mechanisms,” he said. “They are closely monitored, including by UNESCO.”
He said, UNESCO reviews technical, administrative, and environmental requirements in detail, including building materials, architectural forms, and distances from ecologically sensitive areas.
“The fact that many of these permits have existed for nearly a decade without development shows how strict the oversight is,” he said.
He rejected any link between business concessions and the visitor quota policy, arguing that the quota itself aligns with UNESCO’s conservation framework.
“This is purely science‑based,” he said. “Exceeding roughly 365,000 visitors annually would constitute overtourism, and the study clearly warns against that.”
Hendrikus added that some projects, including the Padar Island development, are designed for a high‑end tourism market and face lengthy approval processes.
“The documents have been submitted to UNESCO, and the review process takes time,” he said.