Indonesia had confirmed that it is shutting down for any tourist visit from the year 2020. It has certainly disappointed tourists who are find of Komodo Island. This move has been initiated in the interest of conserving the world’s largest living lizard species, the Komodo Dragon. The initiative comes with the relocation of 200 existing inhabitants of the island due.
Deputy Governor of the province of East Nusa Tenggara Josef Nae Soi made a comment with reference to this development. He said that as off late, authorities are in discussion with community leaders regarding ways to relocate the residents. It is believed that there are around 1700 giant lizards living on Komodo Island, however, as per recent reports, it has been said that their numbers have been drastically reduced in the past few years due to the prime causes of poaching and over-tourism.
Recently, there has been a major boost in tourism with regard to this island and it has seen a significant rise in footfall. The Komodo National Park registered more than 1,76,000 visitors in the year 2018. In the wake of saving these Komodo dragons from extinction, the closure is expected to last for at least 12 months, said Soi. There are chances of reopening, but even so, it would be a premium tourist destination.
There were other reports that suggested that entry for tourists here would cost USD 500 to prevent overcrowding. However Soi commented that nothing of this sort has been finalized yet.
Barring the Komodo Island, there are other islands in the national park that are home to more than 1400 of the giant lizards including Padar and Rinca, which will continue to welcome the tourists.
The tour guides are disappointed with this decision as they make a living by guiding tourists through the Komodo Island. The ones who frequented the spot are also not happy with the decision.
What are your views on this decision? Let us know in the comments below.
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Sony Punjabi
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