Borobudur Spurs Opening of New Economic Zones

Kompas/Ferganata Indra Riatmoko

Gate building and resting place in Banjaroya Village, Kalibawang, Kulon Progo, DI Yogyakarta, near the Progo River bridge which is the border between DIY and Magelang Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (4/11/2020). The gate was built on the main route from Yogyakarta International Airport to Borobudur Temple.

As a national strategic tourism area, Borobudur Temple has become a magnet for development in Central Java and Yogyakarta. Along with the construction of new supporting facilities, a north-south economic corridor has emerged, with Borobudur as its center.

Mualif (26) was not disappointed with the decision to open a tourist destination for outbound and camping spots on the banks of the Tinalah River, not far from Jl. Nanggulan-Mendut in October 2019. Despite the lack of visitors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he recently opened a café near the site, in the hope that the place will attract many tourists once the pandemic is over.

"When we first opened this site, we wanted to take the opportunity of the opening of Yogyakarta International Airport. This route connects the airport and Borobudur," Mualif, the manager of Onokaline River Park, said on Wednesday (4/11/2020).

Also read: The Powerful Mantra in Borobudur

Onokaline River Park is located in Banjararum village, Kalibawang district, Kulon Progo, not far from Jl. Nanggulan Mendut, which links Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) and Borobudur Temple. The route has started to get busy in the past 1-2 years. Tourist attractions, restaurants and coffee shops are starting to grow. During the first few months, Onokaline River Park was quite busy. Many tourist groups visited the site before the pandemic.

Believing in the economic potential along the route, the manager of Onokaline River Park then opened a coffee shop near the outbound location in August 2020. They hoped the coffee shop would become an alternative for travelers.

Also read: Borobudur Blooming in the Autumn

The route that links YIA and Borobudur Temple via Kulon Progo is about 60 kilometers long. This route covers a number of Kulon Progo areas, such as Wates, Sentolo, Nanggulan, Dekso and Klangon. A part of the route comprises beautiful hilly areas.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Billboards for the annual Borobudur Marathon 2020 running event will still be held at Lumbini Park, Borobudur Temple area, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Thursday (12/11/2020). The Borobudur Marathon will be held with strict health protocols. Elite class marathon participants and the committee must undergo a Covid-19 free test.

Biwara (57) also sees the tourism potential. Together with his siblings, he founded Warung Soto Kemepyar restaurant and Kedai Kopi Mbok Kasiyah coffee shop in Ngrojo hamlet, Kembang village, Nanggulan district. The restaurant, which opened in October 2019, is right on the edge of the YIY-Borobudur route.

"This used to be my parents’ house. Last year, we decided to open a food stall. We hoped the area would be busy after the opening of the airport,” said Biwara.

Even so, Biwara admitted, not many tourists from the airport had stopped at his restaurant. However, it was understandable because the number of passengers at the airport was still limited due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also read: Domestic Tourists Become Locomotive

Moreover, the airport only fully opened on 29 March 2020. However, after the pandemic, the airport is expected to boost the local economy, including areas along the route connecting the airport and Borobudur Temple.

We hoped the area would be busy after the opening of the airport.

In the southern region, the 75-km-long Bawen-Magelang-Yogyakarta toll road will be built to connect the northern coast of Java (Pantura) and Borobudur Temple. The construction of the toll road with an investment of about Rp 17 trillion, part of priority segments, is expected to begin at the end of 2020. The new toll road will be connected to the trans-Java toll road, which links Jakarta and Surabaya.

Also read: Travelers Test Positive for Covid-19

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said the construction of the toll road would be accelerated. The toll road is expected to open up new tourism potential of Borobudur through the Pantura route. A new economic area is also predicted to grow around Bawen, Semarang regency. New tourist sites open one by one along the areas between Salatiga and Ungaran, such as the Saloka, Semilir hamlet tours, Cimory, Eling Bening and Kampoeng Kopi Banaran tourist sites.

Tio Handoko, the director of state-owned plantation company PTPN IX, which runs the Kampoeng Kopi Banaran tourist site, believes that the construction of the Bawen-Magelang-Yogyakarta toll road would make Bawen a strategic location for visitors. For this reason, the Kampoeng Kopi Banaran tourist spot is seriously developed in cooperation with PT Dyandra Promosindo.

Kompas/Ferganata Indra Riatmoko

Gate building and resting place in Banjaroya Village, Kalibawang, Kulon Progo, DI Yogyakarta, near the Progo River bridge which is the border between DIY and Magelang Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (4/11/2020). The gate is being built on the main route from Yogyakarta International Airport to Borobudur Temple.

Sugiyono (53), a resident of Asinan village, Bawen district, acknowledged that much of the land around Bawen had become the target of investors. In fact, the residents\' land, 500 meters from the main road, is now priced at about Rp 1.2 million per square meter.

"Because of the pandemic, it is relatively quiet now. Previously, almost every week there were many people from Jakarta or Semarang hunting for land in the Bawen area,” he said.

The Bawen-Magelang-Yogyakarta toll road, according to the plan, has an exit gate in Palbapang, Magelang regency, which leads to the Borobudur Temple area. The toll road development has motivated residents to set up businesses along this route.

Also read : Beware of New Covid-19 Clusters at Tourist Attractions

One of them is the Soto Kopi restaurant in Ngrajek village, Mungkid district, which just opened three months ago. The restaurant manager, Dimas Adnan Widodo, said his business was quiet in the first two months. "In the third month, the average number of visitors reached between 200 and 300 per day," he said.

As a super priority destination, the Public Works and Housing Ministry is serious in the renovation of the Borobudur complex. Four main gates to enter Borobudur are under construction, namely the Klangon Gate in Kulon Progo, the Blondo Gate as the entrance from Semarang, the Palbapang Gate as the entrance from Yogyakarta, and the Kembang-Limus Gate as the entrance from Purworejo. A rest area, culinary center and gift shop will also be built at the four gates.

Various activities, including the Borobudur Marathon 2020, which is sponsored by Bank Jateng, also prove that this area is a mecca for international events. Borobudur Temple continues to make a significant contribution to the local economy, such as the opening of new economic areas in Central Java and Yogyakarta.