Massimiliano Reviziis is a living Italian entrepreneur in Labuan Bajo, Flores and owner of the tour company Flores XP Adventure, a company providing tourists with a truly unique experience in the region. We talk to him about his tour company and concerns for the future of this region.
Massimiliano we will start at the beginning of your adventure in Indonesia. You moved here 11 years ago - what brought you here in the first place
My two brothers were already living in Bali for two years when I came to visit them ?. At that time, I had just finished my studies and Italy, the crisis was starting. I found opportunities to Bali first, then I find love - I met the girl who became my wife! - And so I extended my stay, and 11 years later I'm still here
What made you decide to spend life in Bali for a lifetime east Nusa Tenggara
Bali is not the place where I felt in love with 11 years ago ?; it became crowded, dirty, polluted - even the people have changed. Me and some friends of mine invested in a small resort on the island, Kanawa Island, Flores here, and I decided to move to this beautiful area to live in contact with nature.
Where did the idea of ​​starting XP Flores Adventure comes? Do you have competitors?
He started by looking at what was available and what was not on the market. We offer tours that are very different from others. We saw a great demand for trips of several days, especially on the sea, but people suffering from sleep on boats and seasick, so we decided to offer the possibility of camping on a deserted island great feedback so far, we have received.
What services does your company?
We offer adventure tours in the Komodo National Park, with the possibility of diving and inland tours, all with camping with services, comfortable boats , experienced guides and PADI Divemasters. All our escorts have certifications emergency first response and can speak English.
How many people do you have in . today?
We have a . of 24 staff members currently.
Tell us about a typical day for you to manage your business in Labuan Bajo.
I run the business myself; I believe in creating opportunities for local people. My wife and I created this company and formed a good team to run, giving them the opportunity to grow. For example, we have transformed two single guys who had few skills in very good companions - professional and reliable - and this year we just made them Divemasters, sponsoring the course for them. I oversee most of the time, teach and help my staff. I'm on some circuits, but mostly as a customer, enjoying scuba diving as they can manage everything themselves now. Our goal is to make some of our partners of the company staff.
You also offer camping trips. What is the most popular and why? Why do you think it is important for tourists to discover how people live?
Our most popular tour is three days of the Dragon Tower, a tower of camping on a deserted island, and we explore the best of Komodo National Park, including hiking with dragons on Komodo and Rinca, snorkelling or diving with manta rays and snorkelling and / or diving in the best places in the national park, including the famous pink beach, Batu Bolong and Mawan Island.
We will visit the local traditional village of Rinca, where people have lived for centuries in harmony with the dragons too. It is very important that tourists know the local way of life -. Learning means and how they survive in difficult areas is an experience really openness
Where your visitors usually come from? Can you share the demographics and have you noticed changes in recent times?
Most of our clients are European, the majority Italian, Spanish and French. But we get a lot of expatriates living in Indonesia and Singapore, too. And the number of local Indonesian tourists is also growing.
Have you noticed the news today traveler trends
The trend is that people are research nature ?; they want to get out of crowded, polluted places, and modernity.
Everyone is happy on our visits - there is no WiFi and little or no phone signal in the
.How do you ensure the service is great every time? Is difficult to find good staff?
Finding good staff is not easy and a lot of training is required. To keep our staff motivated, we offer bonuses, and career progression opportunities.
Sustainability is important to you. How do you ensure sustainability through visits to your company offer? Do you only hire locally on your cruise?
We hire mostly local staff. We have a stranger, a Spanish manager and a lady from Semarang working in the office - everyone is Flores. We believe in the use of local products and local energies to contribute to the growth of the local economy.
You have two boats and three cars and are very busy with the tour company. Tell us what Flores has to offer the traveler that other places do not.
Our main difference is a constant service and camping adventure. We always listen to our customers; we try to understand what they want to offer them the right product.
You are also owns Kanawa Island Resort, a resort on a 26-hectare island on the border of the Komodo National Park. Have you taken a lease on the island? Was it hard to set up this station?
Yes, I am one of Kanawa Island Resort from shareholders and the auditor of the company. We have some (HGB Hak Guna Bangunan ) certificates in the name of the company on the island. Nothing is easy in this country, but if you love and have a passion for it, then everything is possible.
What are the challenges you face living and working in Labuan Bajo?
There are a lot of challenges. This is an increasingly rapid city, but it still lacks a lot of infrastructure such as water, energy and waste disposal -. Things people take for granted
With a new airport, marina, hospital and even a Lippo mall built in Labuan Bajo, are you concerned about preserving the natural beauty of this region? What can we do to ensure that the area is not ruined by development?
Yes, I am worried. I'm worried it moves too fast. I just hope the appropriate infrastructure be put in place. Personally, I'm really happy to hospital because what was needed here. But we also need a system of water, electricity and proper roads. But what I would say is in town, they can do what they want, as long as the national park is protected.
Let Komodo National Park. Who manages this park and you feel that it is well maintained?
Komodo National Park is managed by the Department of Forestry in Jakarta and in my humble opinion not a good job has been done so far with it. It becomes dirty, very busy, and there are a lot of illegal fishing with no control at all.
We asked the local national park authorities if we could work together to organize cleaning days on Komodo and Rinca islands, install additional mooring buoys and create adequate radio and . channel the community of dive operators and tour to report problems or activities within the park when boats are out. We are still awaiting a response from them.
Do you have any plans to leave East Nusa Tenggara?
Not at all, I love this area and I plan to stay here for a long, long time.
If you had a dream for the region Flores / East Nusa Tenggara, what would it be?
I wish Flores will be developed in an intelligent manner, respecting nature and the park will be protected for many generations to come. I want renewable energy will be introduced in the region, but my main hope is that local people will keep their smiles and friendliness, even when money is coming here.
