Astindo’s 10,000 Labuan Bajo trip cancellations over Komodo fee remain unverified

Labuan Bajo — The Labuan Bajo branch of the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (Astindo) has previously claimed that more than 10,000 domestic and foreign tourists cancelled their trips to Labuan Bajo in the wake of plans to raise Komodo National Park entrance fees to Rp 3.75 million per person, a figure that local media attributed to chairman Ignasius Suradin in mid-2022.

According to coverage that cites Astindo Labuan Bajo and Suradin, the cancellations were linked to a proposed conservation contribution ticket of around Rp 3.75 million for visits to Komodo Island, Padar Island and surrounding waters, which sparked protests by tourism operators and strong opposition from local travel businesses in Labuan Bajo.

Reports in 2022 quoted Suradin as saying that more than 10,000 domestic and international tourists had cancelled trips over a roughly three-month period following the announcement of the higher ticket price, with the impact expected to be greatest in August. He described the figure as an estimate rather than a precise tally drawn from booking records.

These cancellations were said to have affected a range of tourism services, including hotels, travel agencies and tourist boats. Coverage of Suradin’s comments referred to one five-star hotel losing bookings for around 600 room nights, and to significant impacts reported by other accommodation providers and tourism businesses.

Estimated scale and timing

Independent media reports that quote Astindo Labuan Bajo and Suradin describe the cancellations as beginning shortly after the proposed Rp 3.75 million fee was made public, and continuing into the following months.

Suradin was cited as estimating more than 10,000 cancellations over a three-month period, with August identified as the month with the highest expected number of cancellations. The figure covers both domestic and foreign visitors planning trips that included Komodo National Park and other Labuan Bajo destinations.

The reports attribute the cancellations partly to the higher cost of entry itself and partly to public backlash against the proposed fee increase, including concern among travellers about the affordability of visiting Komodo and the surrounding islands.

Ticket prices and policy context

The Rp 3.75 million figure cited by Astindo and local media referred to a proposed conservation contribution for access to Komodo Island, Padar Island and nearby protected marine areas. Later guidance aimed at international visitors reiterated that a conservation contribution of about Rp 3.75 million per person was expected to apply from 1 August 2026 as a one-year access pass.

However, other information on park fees indicates that, under Government Regulation No. 36/2024 on non-tax state revenue, the official Komodo National Park entrance fee for foreign visitors has been set at Rp 250,000 per person per day as a flat PNBP park entry charge, with lower rates for Indonesian citizens. Separate guides for travellers describe additional conservation and trekking fees for specific islands, and some platforms list bundled tickets for Komodo, Padar and Rinca at lower per-visit prices than the proposed Rp 3.75 million conservation contribution.

These differences suggest that the Rp 3.75 million amount discussed by Astindo and local tourism operators relates to a specific conservation contribution scheme rather than the base PNBP park entrance fee applied under the government regulation.

Data gaps and verification

Media reports quoting Suradin and Astindo Labuan Bajo do not provide underlying booking data, a breakdown of cancellations between domestic and foreign visitors, or independent verification from government tourism offices, park authorities or hotels. The accounts rely on estimates from local travel agents and tourism operators and do not identify the hotels or vessels involved by name.

Later travel-industry commentary that refers to “over 10,000” cancelled trips appears to echo the same Astindo estimate rather than present new, independently audited figures. No official statistics from Komodo National Park management or regional government were identified that confirm the 10,000-cancellation figure, the three-month timeline or the financial impact.

As a result, the claim that more than 10,000 tourists cancelled Labuan Bajo trips over the proposed Rp 3.75 million Komodo ticket remains an estimate attributed to Astindo Labuan Bajo and its chairman, widely reported by local and travel-industry media but not corroborated by official visitor or revenue data.

Sources

• kumparantravel - 10 Ribu Turis Batal ke Labuan Bajo Imbas Kenaikan Tarif, Kerugian Capai Rp 1 T
• CNN Indonesia - Travel Agent: 10 Ribu Turis Batal ke Labuan Bajo Usai Harga Tiket Naik
• Liputan6 - HEADLINE: Rencana Tiket Masuk Taman Nasional Komodo Rp3,75 Juta, Sudah Tepat?
• KomodoLabuanBajo.com - Planning Your Komodo National Park Trip: 2027 Conservation Fees & Travel Costs