JakartaPost-Nov 5
The Tourism Ministry will inspect skyrocketing fees at several tourism destinations following protests. Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said on Sunday she would further discuss the matter with the Environment Ministry, as reported by the Antara news agency. Several tourism spots saw a hike in fees after a new government regulation took effect on Oct. 30, which revised previous rules introduced in 2014. The regulation hiked levies collected as nontax revenue from activities carried out in areas owned by what used to be the Environment and Forestry Ministry, which has been split into the Environment Ministry and the Forestry Ministry. A fishing trip in Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara, for instance, saw a surge to Rp 5 million (US$317.68) per tourist from just Rp 25,000 previously. Meanwhile, using or flying drones in a national park, wildlife reserve or nature tourism park will require a payment of Rp 2 million per unit per day. Additional costs will be charged for commercial video production that reach Rp 10 million for Indonesian citizens and Rp 20 million for foreign citizens. The decision has sparked protests from the local drone enthusiast community, which has called on the government to review the policy. Farra Rachmanda from Rumah Drone said on Friday that previously visitors were only required to pay Rp 300,000 to fly a drone. He believes that the new fee is too expensive given that not all visitors fly their drones for commercial purposes, stressing that it could lead them to lose customers. Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park spokesperson Septi Eka Wardani defended the pricing, stressing that it was to preserve the area, including the local Tengger Tribe’s culture and the local wildlife. “Currently, a complete SOP [standard operating procedure] [for drone use] is being prepared,” she concluded. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2024/11/05/ministry-to-inspect-skyrocketing-fees-in-tourism-spots-amid-protests.html.
