Labuan Bajo souvenir shop says turnover fell below Rp5 million after quake

Labuan Bajo — A souvenir shop in Labuan Bajo says its daily turnover has fallen below about Rp5 million after the August 2026 Flores earthquake and related volcanic activity weakened tourist traffic, according to a local report published on Sept. 15.

Mikukut employee Maria Carolina Ida said the shop could reach around Rp5 million or more a day during busy periods in previous years, but sales have since dropped below that level, Kupang Tribunnews reported. The report said Ida linked the decline to disaster-related concerns among visitors, though it did not identify a specific volcano or give an official tourism assessment.

Local and international tourism updates published after the Aug. 15 quake said Labuan Bajo and the main Komodo National Park circuit resumed operations under safety monitoring, while some other attractions elsewhere in Flores remained closed for inspection. The Ministry of Tourism and the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority said marine tourism and key facilities in the area were operating again, but urged visitors to follow official safety guidance.

Tourism recovery uneven after the quake

The souvenir shop’s experience suggests that the wider tourism rebound has not translated evenly into retail spending. Mikukut sells bracelets, necklaces, knitted bags, beachwear and other accessories, and the report said it depends mainly on direct purchases from tourists at the shop.

Ida said the business had moved from Kampung Tengah to a new location near Marina Labuan Bajo in August 2026 and continued to operate daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. WITA. The report did not say whether the relocation was connected to the earthquake or to ordinary business considerations.

Ida also said some tourists who were already in Labuan Bajo chose to return home after the earthquake because of concerns about conditions in Flores. The report did not provide broader visitor statistics for Labuan Bajo, so it is not possible to determine from the available material whether Mikukut’s slowdown reflects the overall souvenir sector.

The earthquake on Aug. 15 triggered a wider safety response across Flores, with authorities later saying that Labuan Bajo remained open while some inland destinations were still undergoing checks. In those updates, the Labuan Bajo marine tourism corridor was described as operational, including boat services and access to Komodo National Park.

Business hits continue for small traders

For Mikukut, the immediate effect has been lower daily sales rather than a full suspension of operations. The shop remained open despite the weaker business environment, but the report said employee conditions were affected without specifying changes to staffing, hours or pay.

Earlier coverage by local and tourism outlets described a recovery in Labuan Bajo’s core visitor circuit after the quake, yet small businesses dependent on walk-in spending may still be feeling the strain. In Mikukut’s case, the clearest confirmed figure is the owner’s estimate that peak-day revenue had been around Rp5 million or more before the decline.

Event date: 2026-09-15

Sources

• Kupang Tribunnews.com
• RRI