In Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara, Komodo National Park has continued to welcome more visitors during the first quarter this year, with foreign tourists forming the majority, undeterred by the recent terror attacks in East Java and Riau.
Of the 45,000 people who visited the park between January and April this year, 27,550 were foreigners, while the number of local tourists totalled 18,080, the park's administration head Dwi Putro Sugiarto told kompas.com.
Total visitor figures this year represent an increase from last year’s 38,147 visitors. Visitor figures have been rising since January, which saw 8,626 visitors, while in February the number rose to 9,119, and in March and April, arrivals continue to climb higher to 13,668 and 14,217 respectively, The Jakarta Post reported.
The park on average welcomes between 150 and 200 people daily, according to head of Komodo National Park, Budi Kurniawan, who was “optimistic” that the number would increase until the end of this year with improvements in transportation and infrastructure.
The park may also benefit from the upcoming IMF-World Bank annual meeting in Bali in October this year.
“Hopefully the international event can contribute more to the number of visitors to Komodo National Park this year. We’re also making some preparations to welcome the international guests,” said Kurniawan.