How Indonesia’s super-priority tourism plan frames Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s designation of Labuan Bajo as one of five super-priority tourism destinations is framed in government policy and academic literature as a way to accelerate premium tourism, infrastructure development and economic transformation beyond Bali.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy promotes five Destinasi Pariwisata Super Prioritas (super-priority tourism destinations): Borobudur in Central Java, Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara and Likupang in North Sulawesi, as part of a strategy to expand tourism-driven growth and employment outside Bali.

A 2023 study in Madani: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin describes super-priority tourism as a high-quality or luxury segment built around distinctive natural, social and cultural assets, while also requiring attention to amenities, attractions, accessibility, tourism awareness and accommodation.

A 2025 study in SIBATIK Journal similarly presents Labuan Bajo as a premium destination whose development is expected to support local businesses and strengthen the regional economy, focusing on strategies for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) rather than the full policy programme.

What the designation is meant to do

The DPSP label is described as more than a marketing category.

Academic and policy documents link the designation to central-government efforts to concentrate planning and investment in selected destinations, improve visitor facilities and make tourism a leading sector capable of generating wider economic benefits.

In the literature, Labuan Bajo’s tourism status is traced through successive national initiatives.

These include inclusion in a “10 New Balis” programme of priority destinations, subsequent recognition as a National Tourism Strategic Area (Kawasan Strategis Pariwisata Nasional), and later positioning as a premium destination within a broader five-DPSP framework.

Presidential Regulation No. 32 of 2018 established the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority, known as Badan Pelaksana Otorita Labuan Bajo Flores (BPOLBF), to accelerate integrated tourism development in the Labuan Bajo Flores tourism area.

Government documents and BPOLBF publications explain that the authority operates under the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy with a dual mandate.

Its authoritative role covers a core tourism zone of around 400 hectares in the Nggorang Bowosie forest above Labuan Bajo, while its coordinative role involves facilitating tourism planning and development across 11 regencies in Flores and surrounding areas.

These descriptions point to a division between national policy direction and destination-level coordination.

At the core area, BPOLBF is mandated to plan, develop, manage and control tourism assets, including land management rights and investment lots, while at the wider Flores level it acts as a coordinating body rather than a landholder.

Academic sources emphasise that the economic transformation argument is central to the five-destination model.

A thesis archived in the Institute of Philosophy and Creative Technology Ledalero repository characterises Labuan Bajo’s approach as “super premium,” based on limited and high-quality services and a shift from resource-based activity toward higher-value tourism.

Local businesses and implementation challenges

The development model depends partly on whether local enterprises can participate in the higher-value tourism economy.

The 2025 SIBATIK study finds that Labuan Bajo MSMEs have potential and benefit from government attention, but face weaknesses in market access and technology.

It recommends human-resource development, product diversification and digital marketing, and highlights accommodation providers, homestays, tourism activities, food services and merchandise as sectors where MSME participation could be strengthened.

The 2023 Madani policy-evaluation study ranks five needs for sustainable development: transport access, natural attractions, amenities such as banks, money changers and ATMs, tourism awareness linked to MSME empowerment, and decent, safe and clean accommodation.

Based on qualitative research with local informants and an analytical hierarchy process, the study suggests that infrastructure, finance and capacity-building remain critical to achieving the super-priority vision.

These findings underline that implementation is a practical question, not only a branding exercise.

A destination can be labelled premium while still facing gaps in transport connections, financial services, skills, technology and local supply chains that limit the benefits for small businesses.

The Ledalero thesis excerpt adds a sharper critique of the development model.

It argues that large infrastructure and investment projects may generate jobs and income but risk weakening attention to social issues, including public-asset privatisation, customary land rights, forest conversion and restrictions affecting communities connected to Komodo National Park.

The excerpt refers to development sites such as the Bowosie forest area above Labuan Bajo, a waterfront marina, an executive zone in Golo Mori and geothermal exploration at Wae Sano as examples discussed in the context of land, environment and community concerns.

It also describes resistance by local groups, including communities associated with Ata Modo and Wae Sano, as part of the thesis’s analysis of tensions between tourism-led growth and local rights.

Context and unresolved issues

Academic and policy sources therefore support the conclusion that Labuan Bajo has been prioritised for coordinated, premium tourism-led development through the five-DPSP framework, the creation of BPOLBF and the promotion of a “super premium” destination model.

They also note that the long-term success of this approach depends on whether improved infrastructure and premium services translate into stronger local participation, transparent planning, protection of community rights and environmental safeguards.

For travellers and investors, the remaining questions include how BPOLBF’s current mandate and budget are applied on the ground, which Labuan Bajo projects have been completed or delayed, how regulations manage land and conservation, how much tourism revenue reaches MSMEs and households, and what official monitoring exists for social and environmental impacts around Komodo National Park.

Sources

• IDN Times – Destinasi Wisata Prioritas, Upaya Pemerintah Gaet Banyak Pelancong
• CNBC Indonesia – Daftar 5 Destinasi Super Prioritas Kementerian Pariwisata
• InfoPublik – Dirut BPOLBF Tegaskan BPOLBF Sebagai Executive Board
• Labuanbajoflores.id – BPOLBF Job and Functions
• Wikipedia Indonesia – Badan Pelaksana Otorita Labuan Bajo Flores
• ParapuarInvest.com – BPOLBF Explained: The Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority
• BPOLBF – Rencana Strategis BOPLBF (PDF)
• SIBATIK Journal, Volume 4 No. 4 (2025)
• Institute of Philosophy and Creative Technology Ledalero repository thesis excerpt
• Madani: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin, Volume 1 No. 7 (August 2023)