Indonesia has canceled plans to shut down its Komodo Island for tourists but will impose a limit on the number of visitors to protect its native Komodo dragon.
Indonesia will not be shutting down its Komodo Island but an annual membership system will be created for tourists who wants to visit the tourist spot. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the country's maritime affairs minister, said: "Komodo Island will not be closed. A restriction will be placed on the number of tourists to Komodo Island by rearranging its ticketing system."
The membership system will be two-tier, with only those with a premium membership will be permitted to land on Komodo island to see the dragons while other members will be directed to other nearby islands. The quota or price under the system are yet to be announced by the Indonesian tourism ministry.
Komodo Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "unparalleled terrestrial and marine ecosystems". It has become more popular in recent years and in 2018, it attracted around 180,000 tourists. It is home to the world's largest species of lizard, the Komodo dragon.
The initial decision by Indonesian authorities to keep the island off limits to tourists have been fueled by calls for greater wildlife protection for the past months over concerns that tourists have damaged ecosystems and threatened the lives of the giant lizards. The ban was scheduled to start in January 2020 in order to initiate environmental rehabilitation and develop the island into an exclusive conservation area.
Another reason for the ban was the discovery of an alleged smuggling ring that took 41 Komodo dragons from the island and sold them for around $35,000 each.
However, the government decided to reverse the ban on October 1 after local residents raised concerns that it will significantly impact their livelihood.
