Labuan Bajo tourism authority links Work from Bajo to 38% visit rise
The tourism authority said its “Work from Bajo” campaign was linked to a 38% rise in visits, but the published material did not show the baseline, method or dataset behind the figure.
By Pandi Muktar
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· Event date: · 2 min read
Labuan Bajo — The Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority said on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, that its “Work from Bajo” campaign was linked to a 38% rise in tourist visits to Labuan Bajo, in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.
The claim was carried by a local news report that quoted BOPLBF President Director Shana Fatina. A separate report from the tourism authority’s own website also published material about its tourism data and promotional activities in Labuan Bajo around the same period.
The 38% figure was presented as a comparison with a prior period, but the published material did not spell out the baseline, the end date or the methodology used to calculate it. It also did not define whether “visits” referred to arrivals, individual tourists, hotel guests, room nights or another measure.
In the report, Shana said the Work from Bajo idea was part of efforts to revive tourism demand in Labuan Bajo and referred to a post-Eid recovery in visits. The material did not provide a dataset, underlying tables or a statistical explanation for the percentage.
What can be confirmed
Labuan Bajo has remained one of Indonesia’s most closely watched tourism destinations, with the Komodo National Park drawing most visitors to the area, according to other reporting on the destination. Tourism officials have also continued to promote destination management and data-based planning in 2026 through public events and information releases.
The available reporting supports only the existence of the claim that a 38% increase was attributed to the Work from Bajo strategy. It does not support a conclusion that the strategy alone caused the rise, or that the figure measures total economic impact on hotels, restaurants, transport operators or tour companies.
Background
Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park and a key tourism hub in eastern Indonesia. The destination has been promoted for both leisure travel and longer-stay remote work concepts as officials seek to spread visitors beyond the park itself and into the mainland town area.
For travellers and businesses, the relevant question is not only whether visits rose, but whether that translated into higher occupancy, longer stays and more spending across the local economy. The published material did not provide those details.
The claim therefore remains a promotional figure rather than a fully documented tourism statistic in the material reviewed for this report.
Sources
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