Diving tops Manggarai Barat tourism revenue at Rp1.5 billion

Labuan Bajo — Manggarai Barat Regency had collected Rp5.7 billion in tourism-sector local revenue by Nov. 21, 2023, against a Rp10 billion target, with diving the largest contributor, according to local officials quoted by Indonesian media.

Head of the Manggarai Barat Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture Office Pius Baut said diving accounted for Rp1.5 billion of the tourism revenue total. He said Rp1.47 billion came from foreign visitors and Rp41.3 million from domestic tourists.

Baut also said foreign visitors made 14,734 diving trips between January and Nov. 21, 2023. The figures indicate that foreign divers generated the vast majority of the reported diving revenue.

The revenue snapshot came as Labuan Bajo remained one of Indonesia’s busiest marine tourism destinations. Separate official tourism data from the regional statistics office showed Manggarai Barat received 423,847 visitors in 2023, with foreign tourists making up the larger share.

In late 2023, local authorities were still promoting Labuan Bajo as a priority destination while trying to improve visitor management and comfort, according to the same official and media reports. The diving revenue was tied to activity in and around Labuan Bajo, but the published figures did not break down how much came from specific sites.

Data at a glance:

• Total tourism PAD collected: Rp5.7 billion
• Tourism PAD target: Rp10 billion
• Diving contribution: Rp1.5 billion
• Foreign-diver contribution: Rp1.47 billion
• Domestic-diver contribution: Rp41.3 million
• Foreign diver trips recorded: 14,734

For investors and operators, the figures underscore the commercial weight of diving in the local tourism economy. For conservation readers, they also highlight the continued economic dependence of Labuan Bajo on marine visitation, including activities linked to the waters around Komodo National Park.

Note: the event date used for this report is Nov. 21, 2023, the date of the figures cited by the officials.

Sources

• Republika Online
• Universitas Mulawarman journal-hosted article citing the same local figures
• BPS Manggarai Barat