Labuan Bajo Port Makes E-Ticketing Mandatory for Tourist Boats

Labuan Bajo — — The Labuan Bajo Class III Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP) has begun applying an electronic ticketing system for tourist boats, requiring passengers to scan an e-boarding pass at designated departure terminals from 23 July 2024, according to local media and KSOP circulars.

The system follows trials and public socialisation in early July and is intended to improve passenger data accuracy, align boarding with vessel manifests and capacities, and strengthen safety oversight on tourist voyages to Komodo National Park and surrounding waters, according to statements by KSOP head Stephanus Risdiyanto reported in Indonesian press.

E-ticketing roll-out and departure points

KSOP has made e-ticketing mandatory for passenger-carrying tourist boats operating from the main Marina Waterfront terminal and two nearby hotel jetties that hold permits as special terminals.

According to reporting from Labuan Bajo and Jakarta-based outlets, travellers using tourist boats to visit Komodo National Park and nearby destinations must pass through a boarding gate and scan a QR code or barcode on their electronic boarding pass at three departure points: the Marina Waterfront City harbour, the Ayana hotel pier and the Taaktana/Marriott hotel pier.

Media coverage indicates that the system is integrated with a passenger manifest application operated via the Easybook platform, allowing KSOP to cross-check boarding-pass data with vessel manifests in real time before passengers are allowed to board.

Safety, capacity control and enforcement

KSOP officials and supporting reports state that the e-ticketing requirement is aimed at reducing tourist-boat accidents and violations of seaworthiness rules by ensuring that only passengers listed on a vessel’s manifest can board and that boats do not exceed their permitted capacity.

Risdiyanto has said that passengers whose names do not appear on a vessel’s manifest cannot board from the Marina Waterfront or other authorised e-ticketing terminals, and that tourist boats are not allowed to carry more than their certified maximum number of passengers.

Local investigative reporting links the introduction of mandatory e-ticketing to previous incidents in which some passengers on tourist boats were not properly recorded in manifests, complicating emergency response and post-accident investigations.

KSOP has warned that captains, owners, operators and shipping agents who fail to comply with the e-ticketing rules may face administrative sanctions under applicable maritime regulations.

Implementation phase and passenger monitoring

Reports from mid-July describe the system as initially being in a trial and socialisation phase, during which tourists and travel agents used electronic tickets while officials tested boarding-gate procedures.

From 23 July 2024, KSOP stated that the system would continue on a permanent basis, with tourist-boat passengers required to present and scan their electronic boarding passes at the designated terminals before embarking.

Available public reports focus on the operational design and safety objectives of the system rather than publishing aggregated passenger statistics, and do not provide detailed breakdowns of foreign and domestic passengers or terminal-specific totals for the first weeks of implementation.

Outstanding details

Media and official documents consulted describe the mandatory use of e-ticketing for tourist boats departing from the authorised terminals in Labuan Bajo and outline the integration with passenger manifests and safety enforcement, but do not provide a full list of participating operators, nor do they specify all routes covered beyond trips to Komodo National Park and nearby islands.

Publicly available information also does not yet include comprehensive monitoring reports on the system’s longer-term performance, such as total passengers processed, reliability metrics or formal evaluations of its impact on accident rates and safety compliance.

Sources

• Floresa.co – Respons Kecelakaan Kapal di Labuan Bajo, Pemerintah Terapkan Sistem Tiket Elektronik; Apa Efektif Jamin Keselamatan Berwisata?
• Pos-Kupang – KSOP Labuan Bajo Resmi Terapkan Tiket Elektronik untuk Penumpang Kapal Wisata
• Detik – Pengumuman! Labuan Bajo Terapkan Tiket Elektronik untuk Penumpang Kapal Wisata
• Sindonews – Ini 3 Titik Keberangkatan Kapal Wisata Labuan Bajo ke Taman Nasional Komodo
• Expatlife Indonesia – Trial Run of E-Ticketing on Labuan Bajo Tour Boats, Tourists ...
• Observer Indonesia – Labuan Bajo Port Authority Tests Tourist Boat E-Ticket System