NTT logs 1.84 million tourist visits in 2025, Komodo share still unknown

Labuan Bajo — East Nusa Tenggara recorded about 1.84 million tourist visits in 2025, according to provincial and media reports, but the available data do not show how many of those travellers visited Manggarai Barat, Labuan Bajo or Komodo National Park.

The 1.84 million figure appears in a February 2026 article citing provincial performance data for Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena’s first year in office, which reported 1,840,488 tourist visits to NTT in 2025, far above the stated target. A separate economic feature in February 2026 also described a 17.99 percent increase in tourist visits to NTT in 2025, reaching 1,840,488 visitors.

These media accounts attribute the numbers to provincial data and official statistics. One report stated that 2025 visits consisted of 472,467 international tourists and 1,368,021 domestic tourists. Akurat.co similarly reported that more than 472,000 of NTT’s 2025 visitors were foreign tourists and about 1.37 million were domestic travellers.

In the same coverage of the governor’s first-year performance, tourism was described as a major growth sector, with the 1,840,488 visits in 2025 framed as a significant increase from 2024. Akurat.co reported that total tourist visits rose from 1.56 million in 2024 to 1.84 million in 2025, citing Governor Laka Lena.

Provincial tourism contribution

Provincial documents show tourism making a notable contribution to NTT’s economy. A 2025 performance report from the NTT provincial government states that tourism contributed 7.71 percent to NTT’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2025, close to the target of 7.77 percent. The report explains that this contribution is calculated from accommodation, food and beverage, transport and other service sectors within GRDP.

A February 2026 economic article referencing official statistics reported that tourism’s contribution to NTT’s GRDP at current prices reached 5.74 percent in 2025, equal to about 8.51 trillion rupiah out of a total GRDP of 148.37 trillion rupiah. The article said this represented an increase of roughly 402.83 billion rupiah from 2024 and cited a 5 February 2026 official statistics release.

The differing percentages for tourism’s share of GRDP reflect distinct calculation approaches: provincial planning and performance documents use an internal formula to estimate tourism’s share, while the February 2026 article draws directly on official statistics data.

Labuan Bajo and Komodo still not broken out

None of the provincial reports or media articles consulted provide a disaggregated visitor count for Manggarai Barat, Labuan Bajo or Komodo National Park within the 1.84 million provincial total.

Provincial planning material highlights Labuan Bajo as a national “super priority” tourism destination and as the western gateway for visitors entering NTT, particularly from Bali and West Nusa Tenggara. The document describes Labuan Bajo’s strategic role in a wider Bali–Nusra tourism and creative economy corridor. However, it does not specify how many of the 2025 visitors stayed in Labuan Bajo or entered Komodo National Park.

Separate media reporting, based on Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, noted that Labuan Bajo received 411,349 tourists in 2024, including 229,763 international and 181,586 domestic visitors. This provides some indication of demand in Labuan Bajo ahead of 2025, but comparable figures for 2025 Labuan Bajo or Komodo National Park visitors were not identified in the available sources.

Limits of the available data

Provincial performance and planning documents define “tourist visits” as the number of people visiting tourism attractions in NTT over a year, aggregating data from districts and municipalities. They do not clearly state whether repeat visits by the same person are counted separately, nor do they break down the totals by destination such as Labuan Bajo or Komodo National Park.

As a result, while the 1.84 million figure for 2025 is well supported at the provincial level and appears to mark a strong rebound in NTT tourism, it cannot be used on its own to estimate park visitation or to demonstrate how demand changed specifically for Komodo National Park or Labuan Bajo.

Sources

• Sergap.co.id – Fondasi Kuat Tahun Pertama, Melki Laka Lena Paparkan Capaian Ekonomi Tumbuh 5,14 Persen dan Kemiskinan Turun di NTT
• Timex Kupang – Pariwisata Bangkit, Ekonomi Masyarakat Menguat
• Akurat.co – Sektor Pariwisata NTT Tumbuh, Kunjungan Wisatawan Naik Jadi 1,84 Juta
• Government of Nusa Tenggara Timur – Laporan Kinerja Instansi Pemerintah Provinsi NTT Tahun 2025 (LKIP 2025)
• Beritakota.id – Dirut BPOLBF Dan Gubernur Emanuel Melkiades Sepakat Tingkatkan Pariwisata NTT