Raja Ampat Regency has increased tourism charges for visitors to the marine destination in eastern Indonesia, citing the need to balance conservation efforts with benefits for local communities.
Under the revised regulation, domestic visitors are now charged 300,000 rupiah (US$20) per visit, up from 75,000 rupiah, while international visitors pay one million rupiah, compared with 300,000 rupiah previously. Children under 12 are exempt from the levy.
The regency-level fee is applied in addition to existing provincial and national charges, which currently total 425,000 rupiah for domestic visitors and 700,000 rupiah for foreign visitors. Following the increase, total entry-related fees amount to 650,000 rupiah for Indonesian visitors and 1.7 million rupiah for international visitors.
Raja Ampat regent Orideko Iriano Burdam said the revised policy was intended to address long-standing imbalances in how tourism revenue is shared. In an interview with national radio broadcaster RRI, he stated: “Local communities have been protecting Raja Ampat’s natural wealth for years, but they have seen very little economic benefit from tourism. That gap is what this policy is trying to address.”
According to the regency administration, revenue from the revised fees will be allocated across several areas. Sixty per cent will go towards the regency’s own-source income, 15 per cent to tourism development at the village level, and 25 per cent to operational management, including marine and land patrols, coral reef rehabilitation and waste management.
Daniel Abimanyu Carnadie, chairman of the Raja Ampat Dive Resort Association, hoped the revenue would be distributed fairly and in line with the regulation. “When people feel tourism actually supports their livelihoods, they are far more willing to protect the environment,” he said.
Commenting that the fee increase would have varying impacts across market segments, he added: “The higher fees would affect budget-oriented markets, such as homestays and backpacker travellers. Resort guests generally understood that the fee is for conservation efforts.”
For Yulius Ricky Soeharto, chairman of the Southwest Papua chapter of the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies, concerns focused more on implementation than the fee level itself.
He noted: “The timing of the policy posed challenges for operators. Most Raja Ampat trips are booked at least six months in advance. With the regulation applied immediately, operators have little room to adjust pricing and often have to absorb the additional costs.”
