Ministry of Forestry Develops Alternative Komodo Tourism on Flores Mainland

The habitat of Komodo dragons on Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is also spread across several areas outside the Komodo National Park area. The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) plans to develop ex situ conservation (a method of preserving living creatures outside their natural habitat) for Komodo dragons outside Komodo National Park as an alternative tourism option for viewing Komodos on Flores.

Several locations that will be developed for Komodo ex situ conservation include the 17 Islands Nature Tourism Park in Riung, Ngada Regency, and two other sites in West Manggarai: Longos Island and Golo Mori.

“First, there is the Riung 17 Islands Nature Tourism Park in Ontoloi, where there is a population of 100 Komodo dragons,” said Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki during a discussion with Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and tourism stakeholders in Labuan Bajo on Friday (24/4/2026).

“But we do need to study their natural feed. In the future, we hope it can become an alternative tourism development,” he added.

Rohmat will also visit Golo Mori in Komodo Subdistrict. In the area managed by ITDC, he explained, there are Komodo dragons that can also be developed for ex situ Komodo conservation. The location is about 25 kilometres from Labuan Bajo.

“Tomorrow I plan to go to Golo Mori, meet with the state-owned enterprise ITDC which has built a meeting place and restaurant there. Below it, there is Komodo potential. The hope is that in Golo Mori we can also develop ex situ conservation for alternative Komodo tourism,” Rohmat explained.

Similarly, the Komodo dragons on Longos Island in Boleng Subdistrict. The location is reachable in about 45 minutes by speedboat from Labuan Bajo. “Another one that we ask to be studied later is Longos Island in West Manggarai. There is Komodo potential there,” said Rohmat.

According to him, it is now time to start thinking about alternative Komodo viewing tourism on the Flores mainland outside the Komodo National Park area. To realise this, he said, collaboration with local governments, tourism actors, and other stakeholders is needed.

“So in line with the direction from the chairwoman (of Commission IV DPR RI) that we must also think about alternative Komodo-based tourism on the Flores island mainland and of course this also requires collaboration with local governments,” Rohmat explained.