Recently, social media and world news are being enlivened with a photo showing a truck as if it was being stopped by a Komodo dragon. This photo immediately reaped the pros and cons, some criticizes and some supports.

The area of ​​Komodo Island is being intensively regulated by the government of President Jokowi. The target is that this area will become a super-premium tourism with a limited circle. The spirit of this program is a middle way between conservation and economic interests.

When examined, the concept of super premium tourism has actually been started since the beginning of 2019. At that time there was a lot of discussion about the issue of closing the Komodo National Park by the NTT Provincial Government.

In January 2019, NTT Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat declared the closure of the Komodo National Park (TN). The reason is, the condition of the Komodo dragon’s habitat has decreased and the Komodo dragon’s body condition is small as a result of the decrease in deer which is the main food of the Komodo dragon.

“The NTT government will make arrangements for the Komodo National Park area to make it better, so that the habitat of the Komodo dragons will be more developed. We will close the Komodo National Park for one year,” said NTT Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat (20/1/20).

President Jokowi also voiced an emphasis on two things, conservation and tourism. Both must be balanced and maintained, the conservation should be considered and tourism is maximally developed.

The closure of Komodo National Park did not take place after being under pressure here and there. The government decided not to close Komodo Island, but to organize it together.

On Monday (30/9/2019) there was a meeting on the development plan for the Komodo National Park (TN), East Nusa Tenggara, which is a biosphere reserve for endemic Komodo dragons (Komodo Dragon) in 1977 and world heritage in 1991.

The meeting was attended by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya Bakar and NTT Governor Victor Laiskodat. Siti said that Komodo National Park will be transformed into a premium tourism.

After that, there was also a suggestion about expensive tariffs for those entering Komodo Island as a consequence of premium tourism. The plan had sparked pros and cons on social media.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Wishnutama and the Kemenparekraf team made a working visit to several super priority tourist destinations, including Komodo Island, on Friday (11/29/2019).

“Today, we are exploring some of the most beautiful corners of this Super Priority Destination in order to guard the progress of the development of Labuan Bajo as a Super Premium Destination,” Wishnutama said in the caption of his Instagram upload on Komodo Island.

Finally, after a series of preparations, in early 2020 the super premium tourism arrangement program was carried out including the process of physical activities. President Jokowi went back and forth to check.

On January 20, 2020, President Jokowi said that the development of the super premium Labuan Bajo destination will begin to be addressed and there are at least 5 (five) zones or areas that need to be arranged. This was expressed by President Jokowi while chairing the Limited Meeting (Ratas) regarding the Development of Labuan Bajo Tourist Destinations.

“The first is related to the arrangement of the area. We really want the tourist market segment who is present here to spend more than the average tourist. And because of that, we really need to integrate, whether related to tidiness, cleanliness, and cleanliness. comfort, safety for tourists, “said Jokowi.

Jokowi said that although there are already several star hotels with various existing facilities, he also sees that additional hotels are still needed for Labuan Bajo.

“There are five zones that we have to set up, namely the first in Bukit Pramuka, then the second in Kampung Air, the third in the container port and passenger dock, and then the fourth in the marina area, the fifth in the Kampung Ujung zone,” he said.

He said that the five zones will become a continuous public space that presents a beautiful landscape and becomes a generator that drives development and a center for community activity in Labuan Bajo.

“The second is related to infrastructure. I hope that early this year the runway and terminal will start soon,” said the President.

Jokowi hopes that later this airport will get a lot of traffic, traffic, which is getting more and more because in terms of management it has the ability and network to bring tourists to Labuan Bajo.

Not long ago, on October 1, 2020, Jokowi returned to Labuan Bajo to inspect and control the start of regional arrangement in the tourist area of ​​Labuan Bajo.

“It is indeed being built here at the designated area point, which was planned in the last year, and this has already started. As we can see, this is in the Batu Cermin Cave Area which has already started, like this, this is already … what percentage is it Sir? 47 percent is finished, but it will continue to be in process, “said Jokowi.

Jokowi explained that there was also an arrangement of the area at Puncak Waringin which later there would be used to display handicrafts, products in East Nusa Tenggara, especially weaving and others, carvings and others.

In addition, there is an area arrangement in Kampung Ujung to the Marina area. “Then we will also renovate the old port, we will move the port to the new port at Wae Kelambu, and we hope that the first stage will be completed at the end of 2020, then the second stage will be completed in 2021,” said Jokowi.

Jokowi also said that arrangements were made on Rinca Island where visitors could see Komodo dragons. “Arrangements are carried out that are adjusted to all of this with the nature in the area so that it looks very natural, whoever visits, and the Labuan Bajo area will become an area that is truly premium,” said Jokowi.

It was on Rinca Island that the polemic about the development of super premium tourism emerged when a photo appeared that was reaping the pros and cons. The Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority Agency (BOPLBF) had confirmed that development in Loh Buaya, Rinca Island, which is part of the Komodo National Park (TN), was carried out with great care. The safety of the Komodo dragon is considered.

Despite reaping strong protests from various circles, recently the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHKO) issued a statement that they still adhere to the principle of prudence in developing the Komodo National Park area. As we know, Komodo National Park has a global label as a Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and World Heritage in 1991 by UNESCO. Komodo National Park has an area of ​​173,300 Ha, consisting of 40,728 Ha (23.51%) of land and 132,572 Ha (76.49%) of water. From this area, the Land Tourism Use Zone is 824 Ha (0.4%) and the Maritime Tourism Use Zone is 1584 Ha (0.95). So the development of natural tourism is very limited to the Use Zone.

Sarpras structuring activities (construction of a dock, evelated deck, lodging for researchers, lodging for tourist guides / naturalist guides) that enter the administration of Pasir Panjang Village, Komodo District, West Manggarai Regency, in the form of transportation of construction materials using heavy equipment must be carried out, because it is not possible to use energy. human. The use of heavy equipment, such as trucks, excavators and others, has been carried out with prudence principles.

“Based on observations, the number of Komodo dragon lizards that often roam around the sarpras arrangement area in Loh Buaya is estimated to be around 15. Some of them have behaviors that do not avoid humans. To ensure the safety and protection of Komodo dragons including workers, all structuring activities sarpras are supervised by 5–10 rangers every day. They intensively check the presence of Komodo dragons including under buildings, former buildings, and under trucks carrying materials, “explained Wiratno.