Plan to Increase Borobudur Entrance Fee to Rp 750,000 Causes Concern

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Candi Borobudur di Kabupaten Magelang, Minggu (20/11/2019).

Tourism players lament the plan to increase the entrance fee to Borobudur Temple to Rp 750,000 (US$51.86) per person for domestic tourists because it is considered too expensive.

MAGELANG, KOMPAS — The government's plan to increase the entrance fee for Borobudur Temple to Rp 750,000 (US$51.86) for domestic tourists has caused public panic and confusion, especially among tourism players. The plan is feared to trigger cancellation and reduction of tourist visits to Borobudur Temple in Magelang regency, Central Java.

As reported, the plan to increase the entrance fee for Borobudur Temple was unveiled by Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan during the inauguration of Borobudur as an environmentally friendly and sustainable tourist destination at the Parking Area of the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park on Saturday (4/6/2022).

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The entrance fee for domestic tourists will be increased to Rp 750,000 per person from Rp 50,000 at present, while the entrance fee for foreign tourists will be raised to US$100 per person from $22 per person currently. On the other hand, the entrance fee for students will be reduced to Rp 5,000 per person from Rp 25,000 at present.

Many of them were confused about offering tour packages to Borobudur Temple and other destinations in Magelang regency due to the increase in cost of entrance.

The chairman of the Magelang Regency Tourism Forum, Edwar Alfian, acknowledged that since Saturday he had received many questions from dozens of travel agencies from various cities regarding the planned increase in the entrance fee to one of the world’s largest temples. Many of them were confused about offering tour packages to Borobudur Temple and other destinations in Magelang regency due to the increase in cost of entrance.

"Obviously, there is confusion because so far, the main tourist magnet in Magelang regency is the Borobudur Temple," he said on Sunday (5/6).

KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

In response to the increase in cost of entrance, Edward said, local tourism players planned to offer hundreds of other interesting tourist destinations as alternatives to visit. However, the change in the tourist packages would be difficult to realize because some destinations were not yet equipped with adequate supporting infrastructure, he said. For example, the road access and parking area in one new destination, the Nepal van Java, in Kaliangkrik district, are not yet ready to facilitate large groups of people arriving by bus.

Edward lamented the plan to increase the entrance ticket price. Moreover, the increase in the admission has already been officially announced.

For most people, tourist visits must be planned and prepared in advance.

He hoped that the ticket-price increase would not be sudden. For most people, tourist visits must be planned and prepared in advance.

M Hatta, one of the tour guides in Magelang regency, hoped that the decision to increase the entrance fee to the Borobudur temple could be coupled with the development of other tourist destinations, tourist villages and residences around the temple for tourists who did want to go up to the temple building, but who might visit other places outside the Borobudur area.

Restrictions

Meanwhile, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo has called on PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, which manages the Borobudur temple, to immediately inform the public that the plan to increase the entrance fee would be part of efforts to limit visits to the temple structure and as part of conservation efforts of the temple.

"Just inform the public that in order to limit the visits to the temple structure, it is necessary to control visits, such as by increasing the entrance fee," he said.

KOMPAS/MOHAMMAD HILMI FAIQ

Runners take photos on the sidelines of light jogging for about 3 kilometers while enjoying the view at Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Saturday (11/18/2019).

In the future, the number of tourists allowed to visit the Borobudur temple structure will be limited to 1,200 people per day.

The head of the Borobudur Conservation Center (BKB), Wiwit Kasiyati, said, based on the center’s assessment, the maximum capacity of visitors in the temple structure was set at 1,259 people per day, while the maximum limit for visitors in the courtyard was 500 people per day. Apart from conservation concerns, the limitations are also for the sake of the convenience of the visitors. (EGI/XTI)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.