JAKARTA - In the midst of the government's efforts through the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to improve the tourism industry in the country, after the COVID-19 pandemic, surprising news came from Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who planned to increase ticket prices differently for domestic and foreign tourists.
This was confirmed by the Spokesperson for the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Jodi Mahardi. He also explained some of the main reasons why the entrance ticket to the Kamadathu, Rupadhatu and Arupadhatu zones at the temple had "changed prices".
"The planned tariff as described was carried out on the basis because the condition of the temple has undergone weathering," said Joni Marhadi. “This matter will still be discussed and decided by the President regarding the 5 DPSPs. These tariffs and restrictions will apply to tourists who will enjoy going up to the top of Borobudur Temple.”
So far, the temple, which was built in the 8th century by the Shailendra dynasty, has undergone several renovations due to a number of damages. Even this temple, which is one of the world's cultural heritages according to UNESCO, was once the target of a bomb on January 21, 1985
"The government made this (plan) solely to maintain its status as a cultural heritage, so the government then did this," said Jodi in a short message to VOI.ID, Sunday, June 5 morning.
Previously, in a post on his Instagram, Luhut stated the government's plan to increase the price of entrance tickets to Borobudur Temple. Not only that, the entry quota for tourists visiting the largest temple is also limited.
"We also agreed to limit the tourist quota to 1,200 people per day, with a fee of 100 dollars for foreign tourists and 750 thousand rupiah for domestic tourists. Especially for students, we only charge 5,000 rupiah," he said as quoted from his personal Instagram account @luhut. pandjaitan, Saturday, June 4th.
Initially, the ticket price for local visitors was Rp. 50,000 for those aged over 10 years and Rp. 25,000 for those aged 3-10 years.
Luhut said the move was carried out solely to preserve the historical and cultural wealth of the archipelago. All tourists, will have to use a tour guide from local residents around the Borobudur area.
"We are doing this in order to absorb new jobs while at the same time fostering a sense of belonging to this area so that a sense of responsibility to care for and preserve one of the historical sites of this archipelago can continue to grow in the hearts of young generations in the future," said Luhut.
It was reported by Antara, before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, the manager of Borobudur Temple recorded that the number of tourist visits there reached 3.8 million visitors. That number dropped drastically after the Covid-19 pandemic, where in 2020 there were as many as 990 thousand people, and in 2021 as many as 420,000 people.
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