Monday, January 29, 2018

E NUSA TENGGARA POISED FOR TOURIST VISITS by Fardah

 Jakarta, Jan 29 (Antara) - East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has innate beauty and offers several tourism attractions, such as the Komodo National Park, the sparkling sand beach of Pede-Labuan Bajo in the district of Manggarai Barat, and Tanjung, which is part of the 17 islands of Riung, in the district of Nagekeo.
            The province is also known for whale watching tourism in Lembata beach and the tri-colored crater lakes in Mount Kalimutu, called Lake Kalimutu, in the district of Ende; Lake Ranamese in the district of Manggarai; and the Maumere bay in the district of Sikka.
          To showcase the unique and enchanting tourist destinations, the NTT Provincial Government plans to organize at least four major tourism events during 2018.
         The events would be the Komodo Dragon Festival, Tour de Flores (TdF) cycling and tourism event, Sandalwood Horses Parade and Woven Fabric Festival, and Likurai Dance of War Festival, Marius Ardu Jelamu, head of the NTT tourism office, stated here on Sunday.
          The Komodo Dragon Festival will be held in Labuan Bajo, Flores Island, in March, while the TdF will be held in May.
         In July, there will be the Likurai Dance of War Festival on Timor Island.
           The 1001 Sandalwood Horses Festival will be organized, coinciding with the traditional woven fabric festival on Sumba Island, in August 2018.

            The four events have been included in the national calendar of tourism events and have become the tourism brands of NTT, he noted.
            Other tourism activities to be organized in NTT this year will be an expo and carnival in Alor District, an art festival in Sabu Raijua, and the Tour de Timor (TdT) on Timor Island.
             On Flores Island, Kelimutu Festival will be organized in Ende, Gemufamire Festival and Tsunami Festival in Maumere, and Caci Festival in Manggarai.
         The Komodo dragon attraction is the unique one as NTT is the only habitat of the giant lizards.  
     Founded in 1980, Komodo National Park is home to the endemic Komodo dragon, the world¿s only surviving prehistoric giant lizard.
            The park includes three larger islands, namely Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, with a total area of 1,817 square kilometers.
             In 1977, Komodo National Park was named a biosphere reserve by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1991, UNESCO named the island, accommodating around three thousand komodo dragons as a world heritage.
         The population of Komodo dragons in the Komodo National Park has reached 3,012 heads in 2017, according to Sudiyono, head of the park.
             "Last year, the population was 3,012, and it tended to increase, particularly those on Gili Motang Nusa Kode isles, where its population was very small in the past," he stated.
            He explained that the population of Komodo dragons (Varanus Komodoensis) in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, is stable and not on the brink of extinction.
            The giant lizards are found on the isles of Padar, Gili Motang, Nusa Kode, Komodo, and Rinca.  
    According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Komodo dragon is listed on CITES Appendix I, indicating that the animal is vulnerable to the extinction.
            Adult Komodo dragons eat wild boars, deer, and horses, while the smaller ones consume insects and poultry.
           The authority of Komodo National Park, however, has expressed concern over massive tourism now occurring in the conservation area saying they may disrupt ecosystem.
            Unless it is controlled, he noted,  it may endanger Komodo, the ancient wild animal which has been dubbed as part of the world's new seven wonders.
            Ssince the Tourism Ministry set Komodo Island as 10 top destinations in 2017, the tourist arrival has increased from 107,711 in 2016, to 119,599 last year.
            "We predict that the number will continue to grow, because numbers of airlines have offered flights to Labuan Bajo (port)," he stressed.
            The authority, he stated, will gradually limit the tourist arrival by increasing the price of entry ticket to the national park.
         As for sport tourism events, NTT had successfully organized the first TdF in May 2016 , with 20 teams from 16 countries participating. The second TdF was held from July 14 to 19, 2017, by throwing more challenges, due to an increase in the number of regions covered during the tour.
            The 2017 TdF covered a total distance of 808 kilometers (km), an increase from 661.5 km in 2016, due to the addition of the Aegela-Mbay route in Ngada District.    
     Some 20 cycling teams comprising more than 150 cyclists from 11 countries in Europe, America, Asia, and Australia participated in the tour. ***1***(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE

(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 29-01-2018

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