Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park Ecotourism

Written by Alvin Noor Fitrian | alvinnoorf@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/alvinnoorf

Keywords: Labuan Bajo, Komodo National Park

Labuan Bajo is a tourist destination on the western tip of Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur. Labuan Bajo is famous for its biodiversity and very beautiful natural beauty. The green hilly plains coupled with several small nameless islands add to the charm of Labuan Bajo in the eyes of the world. Labuan Bajo is one of the busiest tourist destinations in Flores, and is a stopover point for tourists before going to Komodo Island. Labuan Bajo City area is surrounded by a group of small islands with sea waters and beach views plus the Komodo which has become an attraction in the world of tourism. One of the mainstay of natural tourism potential in Manggarai Barat Regency is the Komodo National Park.

Komodo National Park is located between Sumbawa Island and Flores Island in the Eastern Indonesian archipelago. Administratively, it is included in the Komodo District Area, Manggarai Barat Regency, Nusa Tenggara Timur Province. This area was designated as Komodo National Park on March 6th, 1980 and declared a Human and Biosphere Reserve in 1977. In 1991 this national park was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On November 11th, 2011, New 7 Wonders announced the provisional winner, and Komodo National Park entered the ranks along with, the Amazon Forest, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Puerto Princesa Underground River, and Table Mountain.

Komodo National Park is located in the Wallacea area of Indonesia. The Wallacea region is formed from the confluence of two continents that form a unique array of volcanic islands, and consists of a mixture of birds and animals from both Australia and Asia. Komodo National Park consists of three large islands, they are Komodo Island, Rinca Island, and Padar Island as well as several smaller islands. The land area of this national park is 603 km² and the total area is 1.817 km². In 1980 this national park was established to protect the Komodo and its habitat. There are 277 animal species which are a combination of animals originating from Asia and Australia, consisting of 32 mammal species, 128 bird species, and 37 reptile species. In addition, in this area also found more than 253 species of coral reef-building, with about 1,000 species of fish. The combination of various vegetation in Komodo National Park provides a good environment for various types of animals in this area. The Komodo National Park ecosystem is influenced by the climate resulting from a long dry season, high air temperatures and low rainfall. Besides, Komodo National Park is located in a transition zone between Asian flora and fauna and Australia. Its aquatic ecosystem is affected by the El-Nino/La Nina impact, which results in warming of the surrounding seawater and frequent strong ocean currents.

The development of tourism activities in Labuan Bajo City can be said to have greatly increased. This can be observed from the number of tourists who enter every week to enjoy the natural beauty of this city. So it takes foresight from the local government, the private sector and relevant stakeholders to take advantage of this opportunity, namely by continuing to develop, especially in developing attractive tourism facilities from the existing potential and can be enjoyed by tourists visiting Labuan Bajo City. This development intends to attract the attention of tourists visiting Labuan Bajo City or people who transit to use and enjoy the available tourism facilities. This tourism development also aims for tourists to enjoy existing facilities so that tourists can stay longer, then spend their money and increase the number of tourists visiting Labuan Bajo City.

Rafael Modestus Ziku (2015), conducted research by suggesting three aspects related to community participation in ecotourism development on Komodo Island, including forms of community participation, factors that influence community participation, and the positive impact of community participation. The forms of community participation in the development of ecotourism on Komodo Island include the participation of the people of Komodo Village in the BNI Komodo Tourism Village Program, namely by providing proposals, and as village infrastructure development project workers. The participation of the people of Komodo Village in the ecotourism business, namely as craftsmen of Komodo statues, selling souvenirs, natural tour guides, managing homestays, and renting motor boats. The participation of the Komodo Village community in conservation, namely by being involved in the Forestry Police Partner Community group and Conservation Cadre. Factors that encourage ecotourism, including the support from stakeholders, community motivation to obtain economic benefits from ecotourism, and community motivation to protect the environment. Meanwhile, the inhibiting factors are limited budget, apathy and low public awareness, fluctuations in tourist visits, and difficulties in marketing ecotourism products.

The development of ecotourism around Komodo Island needs to be planned and needs to be executed properly because it is not only Komodo Island that attracts local and foreign tourists to Labuan Bajo. Rinca Island is the second place to see the life of the Komodo up close. Rinca Island has a steep terrain in its hiking trail so that it provides challenges and experiences that are different from those on Komodo Island. Red Beach or known as Pink Beach also has beautiful sea views and an experience that will not disappoint for tourists who will come to visit this place. Pink Beach has white sand with red gradations, making it a very suitable place for tourists who have a passion for snorkeling. This beach has sea corals and coral that will satisfy the tourists who come and when tourists are not snorkeling the tourists can also rest on the beach. One of the favorite places for tourists to snorkel is Manta Point. Manta Point is in the middle of the sea and tourists will feel a different swimming sensation and of course get a very memorable swimming experiences, therefore this place is one of the big attractions for tourists to come to visit Labuan Bajo. If lucky, the tourists who snorkel can touch the Manta Ray.

Padar Island is now also one of the favorite tourist attractions in Labuan Bajo. Padar Island has a beautiful view and the main attraction of this island is the beauty of the view from the hills of Padar Island. The tourists can also enjoy the sunrise and sunset from the top of the hill on the island of Padar. In addition, there is Kelor Island which has a sensational sea view. The corals and corals on Kelor Island always tempt tourists who come to visit. Not only that, tourists who come are also invited to enjoy the view from the top of the hill on the island of Moringa. Although the hill is not as high as compared to Padar Island, the views provided are no less extraordinary.

In addition to the locations above, there are still many favorite spots for tourists to unwind in the Labuan Bajo area. Currently, Labuan Bajo is still one of the favorite destinations for local and foreign tourists in Indonesia. Indonesia as an archipelagic country with more than 17.000 islands certainly saves millions of tourism potential, biodiversity, and unquestionable natural beauty. The only question is can we as hosts take care of all the beauty and privileges given by the Almighty.

References:

Balai Taman Nasional Komodo. (2010). Rencana strategis Balai Taman Nasional Komodo 2010- 2014. Labuan Bajo: Balai Taman Nasional.

Iriyono, S; Syari’fudin, M. I; Kurniawan, M; Adnan, A; Indriasari, D; Buaithi, A;Margaretha P. N. (2013). The Assessment of Komodo National Park’s Role in the Economics of West Manggarai Regency Nusa Tenggara Timur Province (Development of Ecotourism Utilization Aspect Case Study). Labuan Bajo: Komodo National Park Office. Lahmadi Feki, Martha Ogotan, dan Very Y. Londa. “Implementasi Kebijakan Dinas Pariwisata dan Kebudayaan Dalam Pengembangan Objek Wisata di Pulau Komodo”.

Ziku, Rafael Modestus. (2015). Partisipasi Masyarakat Desa Komodo dalam Pengembangan Ekowisata di Pulau Komodo. Jurnal Master Pariwisata (JUMPA), Vol 2 (1). ISSN 2502-8022. doi.org/10.24843/JUMPA.2015.v02.i01.p01.