Komodo National Park quota: 2026 cap used up, 500 visitors a day

What has changed in the Komodo National Park quota?

From 1 April 2026, visits to Komodo, Rinca and Padar islands and 23 nearby dive sites were capped at 1,000 people a day, or about 365,000 a year. That annual quota was used up by August.

In a notice signed by acting park head Lugi Hartanto on Monday 22 September 2026, the park authority added quota for September to December with a daily allocation of at least 500 people. The figure will be adjusted periodically to account for unused quota and cruise-ship quota; some media describe it as a maximum of 500 a day.

Lugi said the quota ran out quickly partly because some visitors arrived earlier than the date on their ticket. A review of January–April 2026 found quota wasted on some days and crowding on others. “Some days are packed, some days are quiet,” he said. Visitors must now arrive on the date on their e-ticket.

Sources: Menhut: Jaga ekologi, pembatasan turis TN Komodo cegah over tourism ↗ · Kuota Tahunan Ludes, TN Komodo Kini Batasi Pengunjung Harian ↗ · Kuota Kunjungan Harian di TN Komodo Dibatasi 500 Orang per Hari ↗ · Masuk Taman Nasional Komodo Tanpa Tiket Bakal Didenda 5 Kali Lipat ↗ · Penyesuaian Kuota Kunjungan di Taman Nasional Komodo ↗

Why are visits to Komodo National Park limited?

The park recorded 429,509 visits in 2025, around 68% of them from abroad, up from about 65,000 in 2021. The 2025 figure exceeded the tourism carrying capacity of the whole land and sea area, put at 366,108 visitors a year, and a 2022 study's figure of 378,870.

A 2018 study put the yearly carrying capacity of Komodo island at 187,245 visitors, Rinca at 44,165 and Padar at 17,885. The park authority also says heavy human activity can change the Komodo dragon population's make-up and dull the animals' alertness.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the limit rests on research showing that long-term over-tourism damages the area. Deputy Minister Rohmat Marzuki said the quota is not fixed and could rise once facilities on Padar are improved.

Sources: Kuota Tahunan Ludes, TN Komodo Kini Batasi Pengunjung Harian ↗ · Kunjungan di Taman Nasional Komodo dibatasi jadi 1.000 orang per hari ↗ · Cara Daftar ke TN Komodo Lewat Aplikasi SiOra ↗ · Menhut: Jaga ekologi, pembatasan turis TN Komodo cegah over tourism ↗ · Siaran Pers SP.127/HKLN/04/2026: Kemenhut Perkuat Tata Kelola TN Komodo Melalui Kuota Adaptif ↗

How do Komodo National Park booking and tickets work?

Tickets are booked through SiOra, the park authority's official app launched on 7 July 2025, or the siora.id website, at least one day ahead; tickets are no longer sold on site. Under the park's April 2026 guidance, visits to South Padar are split into three sessions: 05.00–08.00, 08.00–11.00 and 15.00–18.00 WITA.

Cruise passengers are counted outside the regular quota so that they do not use up ordinary visitors' allocation. Under a notice dated 23 September 2026, entering without a ticket, or with one that does not match the activity, incurs a fine of five times the normal fee per person per day.

The rules draw on Government Regulation 36/2024 on non-tax state revenue fees. Fees reported alongside them are Rp50,000 per person per day for Indonesian citizens from Monday to Saturday, Rp75,000 on Sundays and public holidays, and Rp250,000 per day for foreign visitors.

Sources: Aplikasi SiOra Balai TN Komodo Resmi Diluncurkan ↗ · Cara Daftar ke TN Komodo Lewat Aplikasi SiOra ↗ · Tamu Kapal Pesiar Tak Masuk Kuota Pembatasan Turis ke TN Komodo ↗ · Aturan Baru, Masuk TN Komodo Tanpa Tiket Kena Denda 5 Kali Lipat ↗ · Masuk Taman Nasional Komodo Tanpa Tiket Bakal Didenda 5 Kali Lipat ↗

Why were sailings to Komodo and Padar closed in September 2026?

The closure was ordered by the Labuan Bajo harbour master and port authority (KSOP), not the park authority. Through shipping notice 01/MP-IX/2026, issued on Tuesday 8 September 2026, it suspended tourist sailings to Komodo and Padar on 9–10 September; sailing permits were issued only for Rinca.

The decision followed a warning from the meteorology agency (BMKG) of strong winds and waves of up to three metres, with the Padar Strait flagged for strong currents and whirlpools. Sailings were closed again on 13–15 September 2026 because of waves of up to 1.9 metres.

Sources: Mau ke Pulau Komodo dan Padar? Pelayaran Ditutup 9-10 September 2026 ↗ · Pelayaran Kapal Wisata ke Pulau Komodo-Padar Ditutup pada 9-10 September ↗ · Waspadai Gelombang Tinggi, KSOP Labuan Bajo Tutup Pelayaran TN Komodo ↗ · Gelombang Nyaris 2 Meter, Pelayaran ke Pulau Komodo dan Padar Ditutup ↗

What is the Komodo dragon's conservation status?

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is entry 724 in the P.106/2018 annex of protected species and is listed in CITES Appendix I. In September 2021 the IUCN moved it from Vulnerable to Endangered, because rising temperatures and sea levels are expected to shrink its suitable habitat by at least 30% within 45 years.

The forestry ministry estimates 3,270 ± 371 dragons in the park, about 701 ± 131 on Flores and 177 in ex situ collections. Park figures show numbers rising from 2,897 in 2018 to 3,396 in 2023, then 3,270 in 2024.

Threats named by the ministry include feral dogs, poaching, the hunting of deer the dragons prey on, conflict with people and habitat damage. Hunting or trading Komodo dragons carries up to 15 years in prison and/or a category VII fine (Rp5 billion) under Law 32/2024, as adjusted by Law 1/2026.

Sources: Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ · Bagaimana Kabar Komodo? ↗ · Tuna species recovering despite growing pressures on marine life - IUCN Red List ↗ · Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Varanus komodoensis (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ · Balai TNK sebut populasi satwa Komodo relatif stabil ↗ · UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ · JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (Lampiran, no. 183) ↗ · JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP ↗

What happens next

• The park authority will adjust the daily quota periodically and announce changes on its official channels.
• The forestry ministry plans to improve trekking paths and jetties on Padar and says more quota may then be considered.
• The government is promoting ex situ Komodo dragon sites on mainland Flores, Longos island and Golomori as alternative destinations.
• Sailings still depend on Labuan Bajo port authority notices in bad weather.

Common questions

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East Nusa Tenggara: Flores and nearby islands

Komodo dragon

Varanus komodoensis

The largest living lizard, native to a small group of islands in East Nusa Tenggara. Explore its links with prey, dry habitats, and island-specific conservation.

Sources and references

1. Kuota Tahunan Ludes, TN Komodo Kini Batasi Pengunjung Harian ↗ — CNN Indonesia, 2026-09-29
2. Kuota Kunjungan Harian di TN Komodo Dibatasi 500 Orang per Hari ↗ — CNN Indonesia, 2026-09-26
3. Aturan Baru, Masuk TN Komodo Tanpa Tiket Kena Denda 5 Kali Lipat ↗ — CNN Indonesia, 2026-09-26
4. Tuna species recovering despite growing pressures on marine life - IUCN Red List ↗ — IUCN, 2021-09-04
5. Bagaimana Kabar Komodo? ↗ — Ditjen KSDAE, Kementerian Kehutanan (IN-FLORES), 2026-02-26
6. Menhut: Jaga ekologi, pembatasan turis TN Komodo cegah over tourism ↗ — ANTARA, 2026-04-15
7. Masuk Taman Nasional Komodo Tanpa Tiket Bakal Didenda 5 Kali Lipat ↗ — IDN Times, 2026-09-28
8. Penyesuaian Kuota Kunjungan di Taman Nasional Komodo ↗ — IDN Times, 2026-09-26
9. Kunjungan di Taman Nasional Komodo dibatasi jadi 1.000 orang per hari ↗ — ANTARA Bali, 2026-04-16
10. Cara Daftar ke TN Komodo Lewat Aplikasi SiOra ↗ — IDN Times NTB, 2026-04-08
11. Siaran Pers SP.127/HKLN/04/2026: Kemenhut Perkuat Tata Kelola TN Komodo Melalui Kuota Adaptif ↗ — Kementerian Kehutanan, 2026-04-24
12. Aplikasi SiOra Balai TN Komodo Resmi Diluncurkan ↗ — RRI, 2025-07-07
13. Tamu Kapal Pesiar Tak Masuk Kuota Pembatasan Turis ke TN Komodo ↗ — detikBali, 2026-04-10
14. Mau ke Pulau Komodo dan Padar? Pelayaran Ditutup 9-10 September 2026 ↗ — Kompas.com, 2026-09-08
15. Pelayaran Kapal Wisata ke Pulau Komodo-Padar Ditutup pada 9-10 September ↗ — detikBali, 2026-09-08
16. Waspadai Gelombang Tinggi, KSOP Labuan Bajo Tutup Pelayaran TN Komodo ↗ — CNN Indonesia, 2026-09-09
17. Gelombang Nyaris 2 Meter, Pelayaran ke Pulau Komodo dan Padar Ditutup ↗ — CNN Indonesia, 2026-09-15
18. Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ — Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan), 2018-12-28
19. Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Varanus komodoensis (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ — GBIF / IUCN Red List
20. Balai TNK sebut populasi satwa Komodo relatif stabil ↗ — ANTARA, 2025-03-07
21. UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2024-08-07
22. JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (Lampiran, no. 183) ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2026-01-02
23. JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2023-01-02

This story was written by the PanduanHewan editorial team from the reports and official sources listed; we do not copy other outlets. Facts may change as the story develops; the update date is shown at the top. Send a correction

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