Komodo National Park Limits Tourist Visits to 1,000 People Per Day, Divided into 3 Sessions
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has set a limit of 1,000 tourist visits per day to Komodo National Park in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara province.
“The regulation has been in effect since 1 April 2026 and is already being implemented,” said Maria Rosdalima Panggur, Coordinator for Public Relations, Cooperation, and Licensing Services at the Komodo National Park Authority, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday (14/4/2026).
Kompas.com reported that Raja Juli explained the discussion on the maximum quota for Komodo National Park began in May 2025.
“A trial implementation was then conducted on 4 February 2026, followed by monitoring activities on 11 February 2026,” said Raja Juli.
Raja Juli explained that the restriction on tourist numbers at Komodo National Park is due to the area being a major habitat for terrestrial and marine wildlife, as well as home to local communities within and around the park.
The Ministry of Forestry has also been mandated by the state to protect and preserve the national park area, he added.
“We report that the focus of the visitor quota restriction is only on three tourist destinations: first, Padar Island; second, Rinca Island; and third, Komodo Island, including 23 diving locations around those islands,” the Forestry Minister clarified.
The Komodo National Park Authority recorded 429,509 tourist visits to Komodo National Park in 2025.
The average number of foreign tourists accounted for 68 percent compared to domestic tourists.
Maria explained that this number has exceeded the carrying capacity of the entire park area, both on land and in the waters, which is 366,108 visitors per year, or based on a 2022 study, 378,870 visitors per year.
The carrying capacity of Komodo Island in 2018 was 187,245 people per year, Rinca Island 44,165 people, and Padar Island 17,885 people.
Meanwhile, the carrying capacity and tourist capacity for the waters at the 23 dive sites is 116,813 visitors per year.
“The increase in visitor numbers has had a significant impact on boosting the regional economy, but on the other hand, it has put great pressure on the ecology,” Maria explained.