Indonesia’s Government postponed the new price in the entry fees for Komodo Island, following a strike by tourism operators.

As per the recent reports, the annual membership fee of 3.75 million rupiahs ($252) will be imposed from January 2023 instead. This was recently announced by Gusti Hendriyani, spokesperson for the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. She added that the postponement is in line with public aspirations.

Indonesia Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno added that the strike was called off after a meeting was held between the local government officials and protesters. Reports have it that when the authorities imposed the new fee, tourism operators and workers in Labuan Bajo, the town on Flores island where most visitors to Komodo stay, declared a one-month strike.

Earlier, domestic visitors were charged $5 per entry, whereas foreigners were required to pay $10, but no single-entry option was offered under the new pricing.

The Indonesian government plan to limit visitors as part of conservation efforts, but tourism operators had called for the old price structure to be restored, stating the new price was killing their business as many prospective tourists cancelled bookings. Komodo National Park is home to more than 5,000 rare giant lizards and is listed by National Geographic as one of the world’s top 10 destinations.

The government first floated the idea of limiting access to Komodo island in 2018.

Komodo Island is home to the giant lizards known as Komodo dragons, the island attracts more than 10,000 visitors every month.