ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the development of tourism in the 1980s in the Komodo National Park. It traces the implementation of a management plan that was prepared for the Indonesian government by the UNDP and the FAO. The Komodo National Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores in the eastern Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Timur. The rugged islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca are separated by channels with strong tidal currents. Komodo has a dry maritime environment and is covered in monsoon forests and open savannah. The Komodo islanders themselves do not necessarily profit greatly from fishing since many are indebted to local skippers. In the management plan concern was expressed about the size of the human population within the park. While the authors of the report argued that Kampung Komodo and Kampung Rinca should be allowed to remain in the reserve, they did recommend relocating three other settlements.
