According to reports from Tempo and Antara News, the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority (BPOLBF) is set to develop Parapuar Park as a new tourist destination in Labuan Bajo with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for August 8, 2024.
Frans Teguh, Acting Director of BPOLBF, envisions Parapuar Park as a fresh option for visitors to Labuan Bajo, especially considering the planned periodic closures and an open-close system for Komodo National Park in 2025, says Tempo.
Parapuar Park has a strategic location in Labuan Bajo’s city center, just five minutes from Komodo International Airport and seven minutes from the Marina Waterfront area.
“I think this is a strategic and easily accessible location at an altitude of approximately 238 meters above sea level. It offers panoramic views where we can enjoy both sunrise and sunset,” Teguh said as reported by Antara News on Wednesday (31/7/24.)
Tempo reports that the park will focus on nature tourism, providing a viable alternative to Komodo National Park during its planned closures. “We are committed to preserving the park’s ecosystem and of course, this is one of the contributions to promote local wisdom,” he said.
Nia Niscaya, the Tourism and Creative Economy Main Expert of the Tourism Ministry, believed Parapuar Park would contribute to Labuan Bajo’s growing popularity as a tourist destination, rivaling Bali.
Tempo say that search data supports this trend, with Labuan Bajo’s search volume approaching 2023 levels in the first seven months of 2024 adding that based on Global Distribution System (GDS) data, Labuan Bajo recorded 4,137,720 searches in 2024, compared to 4,899,240 in the entire previous year. “Labuan Bajo is indeed a complementary destination to Bali,” Nia said.
Source: Tempo
Stock photo by FIFANI CAHYADI on Unsplash