Evita Nursanty, deputy chair of the House of Representatives’ Commission VII, said safety and security must be treated as the foundation of tourism development, alongside accessibility, amenities and attractions.
“Repeated accidents show safety has not been a top policy priority. One life lost is a system failure and must not be treated as normal,” Evita said in a statement.
She cited several deadly incidents last year, including the sinking of a phinisi tourist boat in the Padar Strait near Komodo National Park on Dec. 26, which killed four Spanish tourists.
Other cases included the death of an Australian diver at Segara Beach in Bali on Dec. 30, and a Brazilian hiker who fell into a ravine on Mount Rinjani in Lombok.
Evita also referred to the sinking of ferry KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya in the Bali Strait on July 2, which killed 17 people and left dozens missing.
Additional incidents included the drowning of two tourists at Pangandaran Beach in West Java on Dec. 25 and another swept away by waves at Karanghawu Beach, Sukabumi, on Dec. 27.
She stressed that protecting tourists, tourism workers and local communities should carry equal weight with government efforts to boost visitor numbers, length of stay and spending.
“Indonesia has the world’s second-longest coastline and lies on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ making safety risks inherent across maritime, land and air tourism,” she said.
Evita urged the Tourism Ministry to lead a comprehensive reform involving search-and-rescue agencies, police, disaster authorities, transport regulators, meteorologists, the military and local governments.
Proposed measures include national safety standards, mandatory operator certification, early warning systems, rapid response protocols and stronger law enforcement.
To avoid unclear lines of responsibility, she suggested forming a dedicated coordinating body to monitor daily compliance with safety procedures at tourist destinations.
“There must be a clear lead coordinator to mobilize resources quickly. Institutions exist, but field implementation and supervision remain weak,” she said.
Evita also called on tourists to be more proactive, urging them to question safety procedures and avoid operators that cannot guarantee adequate protection.
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Translator: Fianda SR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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