Plan to increase Borobudur Entrance Fee Postponed

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Borobudur Conservation Center officers spray antifungal and antibacterial liquid on the rocks of Borobudur Temple, Monday (16/3/2020).

SEMARANG, KOMPAS — The plan to increase the entrance fee to the Borobudur Temple structure in Magelang regency, Central Java has been postponed amid growing protest from the public. The best option for restricting tourists from ascending the temple structure is still being discussed.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said on Tuesday that he had proposed a delay in the planned increase in the entrance fee to Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Ganjar said a number of preparations were needed before formally raising the entrance fee.

"I told him, there is a lot of protest regarding the price-increase plan. I said it needed to be delayed first and he agreed. About the entrance fee, we don’t need to talk about it now -- postpone it," said Ganjar.

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Ganjar said that the local government was still looking for the best way to limit the number of tourists allowed to mount to the top of the temple structure. There are a number of possible measures that can be applied, such as the use of a quota system and entrance fee increase.

"PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko stated they would follow up on the decision, together with the Borobudur Conservation Center. A system and regulations are needed in determining the feasibility of the existing entrance fee and its mechanism," Ganjar added.

According to the plan, the entrance fee for the domestic tourists would be increased Rp 750,000 (about US$50) from Rp 50,000, the entrance fee for foreign tourists would be increased to $100 from $20, while the entrance fee for students would be set at Rp 5,000 per person.

Previously, the government announced the plan to increase the entrance fee to the Borobudur Temple structure to limit the number of visitors. According to the plan, the entrance fee for the domestic tourists would be increased Rp 750,000 (about US$50) from Rp 50,000, the entrance fee for foreign tourists would be increased to $100 from $20, while the entrance fee for students would be set at Rp 5,000 per person.

KOMPAS/ADI PRINANTYO

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo

Bhikkhu Sangha Theravada Pannavaro, the head of the Theravada Sangha Indonesia, said the Buddhist organization supported the government's efforts to limit the number of visitors. However, he hoped that the plan to increase the entrance fee to ascend to the temple building to Rp 750,000 per person could be reviewed.

"If such an expensive ticket price is imposed, it is certain that some Buddhists will no longer be able to go up and perform puja and pradaksina rituals in the temple building," he said.

According to the chairman of the Indonesian Association of Archaeologists, Marsis Sutopo, the number of visitors who mounted to the Borobudur Temple structure exceeded capacity. Ideally, the number of

people should be limited to 128 people per hour, or 1,280 people per day, if the temple is open for 10 hours. The ideal capacity for the temple yard is 523 people and 10,308 people for the park area.

Without adhering to its ideal capacity, the temple structure can accommodate up to 1,391 people, the courtyard 5,670 people and the park 111,666 people per day. “The problem of greatest concern is if the number of visitors exceeds the carrying capacity," said the former head of the Borobudur Conservation Center.

Vandalism and unsavory behavior from visitors, such as climbing, sitting on the stupa and sticking gum on the temple, have also damaged the temple.

Too many visitors can wear out the rocks of the stairs and the floor of the temple due to the friction of shoes. Vandalism and unsavory behavior from visitors, such as climbing, sitting on the stupa and sticking gum on the temple, have also damaged the temple.

Additional damage was caused by natural factors, such as heat, rain, moss, fungus and rain. "The most feasible option is to limit the number of visitors according to the capacity. This requires strong political will from the government,” said Marsis.

Stuck in nominal amount

According to a member of the Executive Committee of the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Indonesia, Soehardi Hartono, the public has been trapped in a discourse on the new nominal amount of the Borobudur ticket price. It obscured the issue that should be discussed, namely the balance between tourism and conservation, he said.

According to him, Borobudur conservation must come first. Tourism can continue even if there are restrictions on visitors, both in terms of quantity and quality. A quality restriction can be used to control visitor behavior such as via a visitor management plan.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Officers remove the tarpaulin covering the stupa at Borobudur Temple, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Thursday (10/6/2021). Previously, as many as 72 stupas of this temple were closed to protect from the volcanic ash of Mount Merapi.

A lecturer in archeology at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Daud Aris Tanudirjo said that the Borobudur visitor-management plan was first made in 2010 and updated in 2020. The latest plan regulates, among others, a quota system, visitor flow, duration of the stay at the temple and visitor behavior. However, this has not yet been fully implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (SKA/XTI/EGI)