Lombok is one of Indonesia’s fastest-growing travel destinations. The island has so much to offer, steeped in culture, home to exceptional natural wonders, and increasingly accessible from Bali; it is easy to see why Bali tourists are making the journey to the neighboring island.
What Lombok has to its advantage as it embarks on a tourism boom is that it can learn from Bali’s mistakes and, hopefully, put strategies and rules in place now that will help make sustainable, culturally respectful tourism the standard.
Cultural respect takes many forms, including respect for sacred landscapes and those where wildlife is present. This week, leaders in Lombok confirmed they have imposed sanctions on two international tourists caught carrying drones while climbing Mount Rinjani.
The Mount Rinjani National Park (TNGR) Office is also preparing strict sanctions against the trekking organizers who accompanied them.
Speaking to reporters, Ma’ruf Hadi, Head of Section II of the TNGR Center, said, “So, the information is that before Saturday, our friends in Pelawangan found two foreign nationals carrying a drone. The drone was immediately secured.”
Not only was the drone confiscated by officials, but officers also discovered a Bluetooth speaker being used by another visitor. Hadi emphasized that both types of items are prohibited from being brought into the Mount Rinjani area.
He told reporters, “Including active speakers, musical instruments are not allowed on board. All of them were confiscated, secured, and taken down by officers to the Sembalun Resort, where a special report was filed. After the person concerned came down, they were returned.”
Hadi noted that all trekking organizers who operate on Mount Rinjani are well aware of the rules, “Actually, all TOs already know the rules, so we will summon them to the office in Mataram to ask for an explanation, and what the sanctions will be, whether a warning letter or blacklisting, will be decided by the Development Working Group.”
He confirmed that strict sanctions would be put upon those trekkers found to be violating the rules, and the trekking organizers. This zero-tolerance approach is hoped to help mitigate the risk of such incidents happening again.
Hadi shared, “What’s clear is that there will be strict sanctions to create a deterrent effect. If this continues, it will become a new tactic. If caught, they’ll pay; if not, they’ll feel free. That’s what we don’t want.”
He concluded, “The goal is clear: to protect the wildlife in the area, and the drone videos have been uploaded to various social media platforms, some for commercial purposes. Therefore, prior permission is required, along with payment of IDR 2 million in non-tax state revenue (PNBP).”
Similar rules are in place in Bali, but many tourists flout them and operate drones illegally without punishment.
When drones are flown illegally in high-risk areas, action tends to be taken; however, the situation in Lombok raises the question of whether Bali needs to crack down on the use of drones, loudspeakers, and even photography and videography in appropriate places.
Bali tourists are already expected to honour the Do’s and Don’ts of Bali travel. Although the list of rules does not include a specific reference to photography and videography, it is a condition of all visas and stay permits that tourists must adhere to Indonesian law.
The list of Do’s and Don’ts also stipulates that tourists must “respect Balinese culture, customs, traditions, and art, in addition to the wisdom of the Balinese people” and “ behave politely and respectfully in sacred places, tourist attractions, restaurants, on the roads, and in all public places” which covers engaging in photography and videography in an appropriate way.
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