A Massive Fire at a National Park Has Some Questioning Who All This Tourism Money Really Benefits

One of Indonesia's wonders is no longer. Earlier this month, the fire on 10-hectares of savanna in Gili Lawa caused so much damage that the island, which is part of the Komodo National Park, has been closed indefinitely. Some sources are blaming a man who tossed a cigarette from a nearby cruise ship, and others a pre-wedding photoshoot that involved fireworks. Officials have yet to confirm the cause of the fire, but the devastating incident is now causing some to question the risks of unregulated tourism in Indonesia.

Two days after the fire, the residents of West Manggarai, the district where the island is located, staged protests against two companies that run a privatized tourism area that includes 21 hectares of conservation zone on Komodo island.

A separate petition on change.org is also calling on President Joko Widodo to revoke the licenses of the two private companies, arguing that it will hurt the social makeup of the island and cause ecological damage.

The Komodo National Park is a tourism boon to the district, bringing in tourists from across Indonesia and abroad to an otherwise remote corner of the nation. But while the island is surely beautiful (most are in Indonesia), it's the komodo dragons themselves that are the main draw. And it's these dragons, and their natural habitat, that is most threatened by tourism development.

"The Komodo National Park was created on the basis of conservation, not the interests of tourism.” Kris da Somerpres, the activist behind the #SaveKomodoID movement told VICE.

The central government, under Jokowi, is investing heavily in tourism, with plans to create ten new Balis, in a bid to replicate the tourism draw of Indonesia's most-famous island. But, all too often, tourism development comes at the expense of the natural environment in Indonesia.

The Trump mega-resort planned for West Java is right next to one of that island's last remaining rainforests, and runaway development in Bali has saddled the island with a whole host of new problems, including trash-filled waters and drying aquifers.

It's not that Indonesia needs no tourism development, it just needs smarter, greener development, explained Rosek Nursaid, the head of Profauna, a local environmental NGO.

"As long as construction is done outside of the core zone and environmental impact analyses are carried out that take into account the migratory patterns of wildlife, it may still be viable," Rosek told VICE.

Some places, like North Maluku province, are focusing more on eco-tourism than hotels and resorts, Rosek said.

"There, they’re developing a tourism industry based on bird watching," Rosek explained." Eco-tourism there has grown significantly and provided a decent income for the local population, who work as guides and such. As a result the people are making an effort to conserve bird species and their environment.”

But, even then, tourism development can take a toll on a region's economic wellbeing. While it brings in needed money, it also damages local communities by shifting people away from sustainable jobs, like fishing and farming, to the tourism and services sector, said Kris.

“There remains a wide gap between the tourism business profiting from the National Park and the living conditions of local residents on the other side," said Kris. "Over the last 30 years, many local residents have shifted their livelihoods from gathering to fishing, and then again to working as craft peddlers in the tourist industry.

"Is this truly eco-tourism? No, this is an economic interruption into other aspects of life. There still needs to be a comprehensive approach to building a local concept of eco-tourism here.”