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The Case Of Foreign Tourist Fraud Harms The Reputation Of Labuan Bajo

Instead of enjoying snorkeling, Mattew (35), a tourist from England, was deceived and ended up having to use a styrofoam raft in Labuan Bajo. "Upon arrival, it turned out there were no snorkeling spots as promised, and we were taken back," Mattew stated, as reported by Kompas.com on Thursday (24/7/2025). He was misled while searching for alternative snorkeling locations through the social media platform Facebook. Initially, the 35-year-old man intended to head to Kanawa Island for snorkeling. However, Mattew was instead offered a dive at Nuca Molas with the lure of better snorkeling spots for a fee of Rp 2 million.

The victim was then asked to board a styrofoam raft measuring approximately 1 meter by 2 meters, which was manually paddled for 10 minutes before reaching a boat that was described as being in poor condition and having engine issues.

The tourism sector in Labuan Bajo is facing challenges

In response to the case of foreign tourist fraud in Labuan Bajo, the Acting Director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority (BPOLBF), Dwi Marhen Yono, expressed regret over the incident. "BPOLBF deeply regrets this occurrence, which could certainly affect the reputation of Labuan Bajo Flores tourism and the comfort of tourists who have entrusted their travels to this premier destination," Marhen stated when contacted by Kompas.com on Thursday (24/7/2025). Marhen urged tourism industry stakeholders to conduct their businesses in a healthy and responsible manner to ensure that the image of Labuan Bajo Flores tourism remains intact. "Such incidents are hoped not to diminish the image of Labuan Bajo Flores as a developing priority destination," he added.

Choose a trusted travel agent

Furthermore, BPOLBF urges prospective travelers to verify the reliability of travel agents. One way to do this is by checking for the possession of an official operational license. Travel agents are officially licensed in West Manggarai Regency and are based in Labuan Bajo, while also being part of the official travel agent association in West Manggarai. "Prospective travelers can ensure that there is a clear agreement between guests, travel agents, and service providers, such as boat operators, which facilitates coordination and handling in case of any unforeseen circumstances," said Marhen.

He stated that he will continue to coordinate with relevant parties to prevent cases of travel fraud in Labuan Bajo from recurring. This is being done through efforts to coordinate among related parties, including tourism associations, local government, and tourism business actors. "In order to promote more transparent and professional governance in the Labuan Bajo Flores destination so that similar incidents do not happen again," he concluded.

Concluding with an apology, the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Manggarai Barat Police, AKP Lufthi Darmawan Aditya, stated that the victim has expressed a decision not to pursue this fraud case legally. "Earlier this afternoon, we facilitated a meeting between the victim and the alleged perpetrators. The victim has chosen not to proceed with this case as they have accepted the apology from the alleged perpetrators," Lufthi remarked on Wednesday evening (July 23, 2025). 

Lufthi indicated that the alleged perpetrators, identified by their initials TS (29) and YP (29), are residents of Labuan Bajo, Manggarai Barat, and are employed as drivers. "They are not tour guides but rather inter-district travel drivers," he added.

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Tag: Labuan Bajo Labuan Bajo Flores Authority