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)