East Nusa Tenggara
Indonesia's 3rd-poorest province with Komodo National Park tourism concentrated in Labuan Bajo while rural areas see 18% poverty.
Scattered across the driest corner of Indonesia, East Nusa Tenggara's islands harbor both Komodo dragons and some of the nation's deepest poverty. The province spans Flores, Sumba, Timor, and dozens of smaller islands where subsistence corn farming dominates and crop failures from drought are routine—193 hectares lost in East Manggarai in 2024 alone. Poverty in West Manggarai reached 18% despite the tourism boom in neighboring Labuan Bajo.
Labuan Bajo, designated one of five 'super-priority tourism destinations,' has become Indonesia's gateway to Komodo National Park. Yet the transformation has largely bypassed local communities, who find themselves confined to low-wage hospitality jobs while international operators capture most tourism value. The area generates 13 tons of trash daily; 35-40% is inorganic waste threatening the very ecosystems tourists come to see.
The government is building Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport, expanding Kupang Port, and developing multipurpose terminals. By 2026, East Nusa Tenggara will test whether infrastructure investment can distribute tourism benefits beyond the Flores coastline—or whether Labuan Bajo becomes another enclave economy surrounded by subsistence farmers watching ferries carry wealth past their shores.