A video – also shared by Save Komodo Now but purportedly from the architects tasked with conceiving said attraction – that shows renderings of how the circular structure will appear is set to music that sounds remarkably like the theme to the original, 1993 Jurassic Park film. In September, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Rinca Island development, scheduled for completion in June 2021, would cost 69 billion rupiah (US$4.7 million) and feature a 1.3 hectare geopark and a 4,000 square metre information centre.

“Environmentalists opposed to the national park development have protested three times since February, but are yet to receive a response from the government,” reported the ABC. Shana Fatina, the presi­dent director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority, told the broadcaster that an environmental impact assessment had been completed and the development was progressing in accordance with regulations and would not interrupt conservation efforts.

But what about the other nine desti­nations earmarked as new Balis – without charismatic megafauna to call their own, does anyone even care if construction threatens local communities and environments? And, given the possibility of economic and ecological collapse in Bali, issues that have been highlighted by the coronavirus, is it even right to be engineering places in its image?

In September, President Joko Widodo said that Bali had taken the biggest economic hit inflicted by the pandemic in Indonesia. “This is because tourists, and tourism, [are] so dominant for Bali’s economy and so we can see how it [resulted] in this sharp decline,” he said.

Businesses have closed and livelihoods have been lost. The head of the island’s tourism board has said it needs inter­national visitors to return because “agri­culture alone could not get Bali’s economy back to normal”. Surely, there could be no starker warning against replicating Bali on a national scale?

Perhaps the ruinous impact of millions of visitors on Bali’s environment is equally ominous. Before the pandemic, Bali’s beaches often went viral for having more plastic than sand on them, and fresh water was becoming increasingly scarce, sucked up by developments and hotels catering to all those visitors. Beyond carefully mani­cured resort areas and villas, construction dominates the once unspoilt landscape.

It’s not a pretty sight, literally or figura­tively, and unless serious consideration is given to developing Komodo National Park and those other new Balis responsibly and by working with indigenous commu­nities, Indonesia could end up with 11 unsustain­able tourist destinations/building sites.

Qantas launches ‘flights to somewhere’

Yes, with some state borders now open, Australians have the opportunity to visit other parts of their country. Normally, we’d call that domestic tourism, but shhhh … don’t be a spoilsport.

According to website Traveller, “Rather than simply flying over destinations and returning to its point of departure, the next scenic flights will involve landing at a desti­nation for an overnight stay.” Imagine that!

Qantas’ first “flight to somewhere” – to Uluru from Sydney – sold out in 10 minutes. The airline promises the flight will be 100 per cent carbon offset, reports Traveller.

Singapore lifts restrictions for visitors from mainland China and Victoria, Australia

Australians living in the state of Victoria, however, should soon be able to go some­where else. On October 29, Bloomberg reported that Singapore would be lifting border restrictions for travellers from Victoria and mainland China from November 6. Visitors will have to take a polymerase chain reaction test upon arrival at Changi airport and, as long as the result is negative, they’ll be able to enter the Lion City without having to self isolate.