Important and Unique Tourism Destination in Indonesia: Komodo National Park

An important and unique tourism destination in Indonesia is the Komodo National Park. The Komodo National Park was recognized a biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1977. In 1991, UNESCO named the

Komodo Island, which has a population of approximately 3 thousand komodo dragons, a World Heritage Site.

Afterward, the park was declared as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, in May 2012 and officially inaugurated later in September 2013, by the New7Wonders Foundation. The town of Labuan Bajo, the entry point to Komodo Island, in East Nusa Tenggara, has seen a steady arrival of domestic and foreign tourists, following the inclusion of the Komodo National Park in the New7Wonders of Nature.

Since then, there has been a stable growth in the number of foreign tourists visiting the national park to gain first-hand information about its most notable inhabitant, the giant lizard, found nowhere else on earth. Komodo National Park Management Spokesman Sustyo Iriyono stated that over the weekend, thousands of tourists have frequented the park. Visitors from the United States, Russia, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and several other countries visited the national park.

The Komodo Biosphere Reserve and National Park is well-known for its population of some 5 thousand komodo dragons, and are of great interest to scientists involved in the research on the theory of evolution. Giant lizard was also the key reason for the national park being designated as a World Heritage Site.

Commonly known as Komodo Dragon, due to its look and aggressive behavior, the Komodo Lizard, is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2 to 3 meters. The species is the last representative of a relic population of big lizards that once roamed across Indonesia and Australia.

The park provides a shelter to several other famous terrestrial species such as the Orange-footed Scrubfowl, the endemic rat, and the Timor deer. The rich coral reefs of the Komodo island host a great diversity of species, and the strong currents of the sea attract sea turtles, whales, and dolphins.

On September 12, the Komodo National Park was officially inaugurated as a New7Wonder of Nature, in Jakarta, and in Labuan Bajo, on September 14, 2013.