Economic valuation of Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis, ouwens 1912) and its contribution to locally-generated revenue of West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province

Komodo National Park's tourism, driven by the iconic Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), generates an annual economic value of approximately Rp 5.99 trillion. This figure translates to an individual value of Rp 2.11 billion per Komodo dragon annually, based on estimates derived from the Individual Travel Cost Method (TCM). The study highlights that tourism in this UNESCO World Heritage Site contributes significantly, accounting for 44% of locally-generated revenue and 5% of West Manggarai Regency's total Locally-Generated Revenue. These findings underscore the Komodo dragon's critical role as a conservation instrument, emphasizing its intangible existence value and the need for sustainable management to preserve this vulnerable species in its natural habitat.

Nurilma, A. D., Sjarmidi, A., & Yustiana, Y. (2019). Economic valuation of Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis, ouwens 1912) and its contribution to locally-generated revenue of West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 306(1), 12001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/306/1/012001