Travel Agent Scams and Abandons Three German Tourists, Lacking Office in Labuan Bajo
A travel agency named Pinishi Trip is suspected of scamming three tourists from Germany. As a result, the three foreign tourists were stranded for five hours at Marina Labuan Bajo Port in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
The promised Pinisi Marea vessel, arranged by the travel agency to transport the three tourists, never arrived to pick them up at Marina Labuan Bajo Port. The travel agency is known not to have an office in Labuan Bajo.
“The travel agency handling the Pinisi Marea is not in Labuan Bajo, so we couldn’t communicate with them,” stated the Head of the Vital Object Security Unit (Satpamobvit) of the West Manggarai Police, Iptu Abnel Tamonob, on Monday night (6/3/2026).
The operations of travel agencies without offices in Labuan Bajo have long been a concern for the local government and tourism stakeholders. They are urging travel agencies operating in Labuan Bajo to establish offices there for easier supervision.
The presence of such offices is also expected to make it simpler for travel agencies to be held accountable in case of issues with tourists. This is because scams against tourists in Labuan Bajo are often perpetrated by travel agencies without offices in the area.
Not a Travel Agency Representative
A woman present at the mediation was found not to be a representative of the travel agency. The woman named Cindy Pangge is the Manager of Neptune Cruise, representing the Neptune 1 vessel that brought the tourists to Komodo National Park.
Cindy claimed she was contacted by the travel agency to provide a replacement boat for the three German tourists. Cindy then met the tourists at Marina Labuan Bajo Port and offered the Neptune 1 vessel, which was approved by the tourists.
“I’m not a travel agency representative; I’m the boat owner,” Cindy emphasised.
Cindy said she was unaware of the issues between the travel agency and the previous boat, so she did not come to pick up the three German tourists at Marina Labuan Bajo Port. She only mentioned there was a miscommunication between them but did not know the details.
“We were only providing a replacement boat,” Cindy said.
Three German Tourists Stranded in Labuan Bajo
Previously reported, three German tourists named Dennis Domenik (34), Catrin (37), and Mario Jurgen (38) were stranded at Marina Labuan Bajo Port on Monday (6/4/2026). They are suspected victims of a scam by the travel agency named Phinisi Trip.
The promised Pinisi Marea vessel, arranged by the travel agency to take the three tourists on a trip to Komodo National Park, never arrived to pick them up. The travel agency eventually provided a replacement boat for the tourists after they complained to the Vital Object Security Unit (Satpamobvit) of the West Manggarai Police.
“The three foreign tourists had been waiting at the port since 08:00 WITA. However, until 13:00 WITA, the Pinisi Marea vessel they were supposed to board provided no certainty,” explained the Head of Satpamobvit of the West Manggarai Police, Iptu Abnel Tamonob.
“The police successfully mediated the complaint from the three German tourists who felt scammed by the travel agency regarding the departure schedule of the pinisi tourist boat at Marina Waterfront Port,” he added.
Abnel revealed that initially, the travel agency could not be contacted by the German tourists. The situation at the location became tense because the guests felt stranded and abandoned without clarity for hours.
“The tourists had been waiting since morning without certainty, while the agency provided no response at all when contacted by the victims. The tourists felt scammed because they were left without news for five hours at the port,” Abnel explained.
The police then communicated with the travel agency and demanded accountability for the three stranded tourists. A representative of the travel agency then met the tourists at the lobby of the Integrated Post at Marina Waterfront Port around 13:25 WITA to undergo mediation facilitated by the police.
The mediation process yielded a concrete solution around 14:00 WITA. The travel agency provided the Pinisi Neptune 1 vessel to take the tourists to Komodo National Park.
“After our mediation, the agency agreed to provide a replacement boat to continue the guests’ journey. We ensured they received their travel rights back,” Abnel said.