Tourism up but no threat to Komodo National Park

Tourism up but no threat to Komodo National Park

KOMODO NATIONAL PARK (JP): Visiting the Komodo National Park
on your holidays may not be the first thing on your agenda,
unless you're a giant lizard lover.

The site offers no commercial tourist attractions, only
occasional glances of eagles, storks, herons, dolphins or
turtles. There is no shopping center to stroll around, only
barren, heat-torched terrain with its peculiar flora. There is no
night-life, only the stars' celestial display, or the glow of
moonlight. If you're patient, you might see some falling stars.

And you naturally have to get up early to enjoy the breaking
of the dawn -- if the sky is not overcast. To some, this is value
in itself, "Greeting the sun is one way of praising the
Almighty," says H.S. Dillon, an expert staff member at the
Ministry of Agriculture.

In short, the vast, splendiferous beauty of the park will
attract only those with a liking for outdoor activities, and the
solitary companionship of nature's grandeur.

The Komodo National Park, therefore need not fret about the
repercussions of tourism, because most visitors are generally
concerned with conserving nature, and mass tourism will never
flourish here.

"I have witnessed an increase in the flux of people visiting
this place, and it will continue to do so," says Condo Subagyo,
Assistant Field Representative of The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Komodo Field Office.

The Park's serene atmosphere has changed dramatically, since
advertising efforts have started to cater to the reach of certain
groups of people, namely nature lovers and conservationists.

Last year, the total number of tourists to the Park was close
to 30,000, mostly visitors from European countries.

The growth of visitors is around 10 to 20 percent a year, 15
percent of which visit Rinca, while the majority go to Komodo
Island.

Generally, tourists enter the Komodo National Park via Flores
(15 percent), Sumbawa (39 percent), Lombok (16 percent) and Bali
(10 percent), with a further 20 percent unspecified.

"The best way to promote this place is to specifically tell
people what they can and can not expect," Shanti L.
Poesposoetjipto, Managing Director of PT NVDP Soedarpo
Corporation, leisurely said in a conversation during the trip to
Komodo Island.

A member of the TNC Board of Advisors, and a nature
conservationist, Shanti was inspired to write the following
impression to promote eco-tourism in the area.

"The serene atmosphere and the beauty of the coral reefs make
me feel relaxed and at peace. This is the world and environment I
want my grandchildren to have in their lives, as they grow
older."

The Park's tour guides observe different kinds of visitors.

"Some come directly to Loh Liang, and leave after they have
seen the dragon," Condo said, referring to the site where Komodo
dragons abound.

"There are others who compensate their long journey by
relishing the glorious surroundings on board," (the ship),
Amiruddin, another tour guide said.

Amiruddin was referring to chartered voyages which traverse
the vast area of the park on traditional boats, departing from
Bima, Labuan Bajo or Denpasar.

"These are the sort of people who get the most out of their
trip, because they find and enjoy what they look for," Amiruddin
said, referring to possible activities such as hiking, swimming,
snorkling, diving or fishing.

Many visitors opt for a dip in the ocean, to cool the body
following humid hikes. There are numerous snorkling and diving
sites to buoys which serve to soothe fascination with the rich
and abundant sea life.

Pantai Merah, (red beach), is the most popular snorkeling
site. With excellent visibility, one can swim with trout, rabbit
fish, scorpion fish and beautifully striped sweetlips gathering
around gorgeously colored coral.

Rili Djohani, Regional and Marine Conservation Assistant
Director, rates 70 percent of the coral reefs' habitat in the
Islands' surrounds as being in good condition.

"The coral reefs' exploitation is not as rampant here as it is
elsewhere in the Country," Rili added, saying most fishermen
earned their entire living from the sea.

According to Rili, TNC has been conducting eye-opening
sessions with the local people, concerning the irreversible
damage caused when coral reef habitats are destroyed.

"Since the trading of coral reefs is not in their traditions,
it is not difficult to communicate the idea of conservation to
them," Rili said.

TNC is also seeking means, through dialogue, to discover
local's needs, and how TNC can assist, through transfer of
knowledge, in raising the people's standards of living.

Beginning next January, TNC will draft a 25-year Assisted
Developmental Plan in the Komodo National Park and its
surrounding areas.

The leading option of developing eco-tourism in the area
incorporates the development of marine eco-tourism, with a
training component for local people, such as the development of a
small-scale diving operation, in cooperation with the PHPA Forest
Concessionaire Cooperative, and the local Tourism Office.

Working together with related agencies, The Nature Conservancy
is proposing the second phase of the project include a large
scale "eco-lodge" for marine tourism, which would involve the
private sector.

The term eco-lodge can be better understood in the context of
low-profile, small-scale resorts for visitors, a concept similar
to that of homestay.

Villagers of Kampung Komodo have expressed their interest in
becoming part of the eco-lodge program, to boost their income.

Currently the Park manages 12 rooms, in four bungalows, for
visitors to stay in on Rinca Island. As visitors are not allowed
to camp in the Komodo National Park, the Rinca bungalows are a
perfect choice for those who wish to get closer to the natural
surrounds.

"People who have stayed here say they feel close to nature
because they are isolated from the rest of the world," a Park
ranger explained. (06)