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THE GOVERNMENT, in keeping with President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi’s) instruction, decided to not proceed with the plan to increase the entry fee for Indonesian national and foreign tourists to Borobudur Temple, Central Java.
After attending the meeting on tourism affairs at the Presidential Palace here, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono confirmed that the entry fee for the general public will remain unchanged at IDR50 thousand (US$3.4).
“In principle, there will be no price increase, (and the price will) remain at IDR50 thousand. (The entry fee for) pupils of high school and lower-level schools will remain at IDR5 thousand (US$0.34),” Hadimuljono stated on Tuesday (6/14).
Despite keeping the current entry fee unchanged, the government will proceed with the plan to restrict the daily visit quota to the temple to 1,200 visitors, he remarked, adding that visitors are required to reserve their tickets through online means.
The minister also revealed that Borobudur visitors are required to be accompanied by a registered tourist guide during their visit and use special footwear provided by the management before ascending the temple.
“(Visitors) could not use their own shoes because it will erode the temple’s stones. Hence, (the management has) provided special footwear to ascend the temple,” he noted.
The government concluded that restricting daily visitors to the temple is necessary for conserving the world’s largest Buddhist temple, according to the minister.
Hadimuljono also highlighted Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan’s statement that pointed to a similar restriction also being enforced by the Egyptian government by prohibiting visitors from ascending the Pyramid structure.
“For instance, the Egyptian (authority’s) prohibition on ascending the Pyramid has been studied by the coordinating minister, and (he also studied) the Machu Picchu site (in Peru),” he concluded. [antaranews/photo special]
