Boats serving the tourists must be seaworthy and fulfil safety and security standard qualifications to serve passengers, particularly touristsKupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provincial authority will regulate the operations of passenger boats serving tourists sailing for the popular tourism site Komodo Island from the Labuan Bajo region, West Manggarai District, an official stated.
"We have coordinated with various parties to regulate tourism boats operating in Labuan Bajo. Ships with no license to operate in Labuan Bajo will be prohibited from taking tourists that want to visit Komodo Island," NTT Tourism Office Head Sony Zeth Libing noted here on Tuesday.
He remarked that tour boats in the region will be regulated following the presence of illegal boats serving tourists to Komodo Island.
Tourism boats in Labuan Bajo's waters must clear qualifications to serve tourists in the popular tourist attraction, the official stated.
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"Boats serving the tourists must be seaworthy and fulfil safety and security standard qualifications to serve passengers, particularly tourists," Libing noted.
Passenger ships not qualifying the transportation criteria will be barred from serving passengers in Labuan Bajo, he remarked.
"Moreover, tourist boats operating in West Manggarai District must anchor in Labuan Bajo, and if they refuse (the regulation), then do not operate in Labuan Bajo," the office head remarked.
Libing said that the provincial authority's decision to intensify tourism boat regulations aims to promptly address the recurrence of boat accidents in Labuan Bajo's waters.
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The authority is of the view that boats that continue to serve passengers despite lacking safety and security qualifications might be the reason behind the recurrence of boat accidents in the region, he pointed out.
"(If the passenger boat) does not satisfy safety qualifications for a tourism boat, then it will be prohibited to operate. Security officers will be strict on this issue because the provincial authority does not want more boat accidents occurring in the region," Libing expounded.
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Translator: Benediktus Sridin, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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