Arguably Indonesia’s most iconic Buddhist temple may soon be inaccessible to those with shallow pockets, after the government is set to hike (no pun intended) the entrance fee to Borobudur as a supposed crowd control measure.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan announced the proposed price hike over the weekend. On Instagram, the senior minister said the government plans to transform the UNESCO World Heritage site, which is located in Magelang, Central Java, into a world-class tourism destination, as well as ensuring the site’s sustainability and conservation.
“We plan to limit the number of visitors to 1,200 per day, with entrance fees of US$100 for foreign tourists and IDR750K (US$51.86) for domestic tourists,” Luhut wrote in his post.
“We are taking these measures purely to conserve the rich historical and cultural values of the archipelago.”
Though it’s not clear when the price hike will come into effect, public reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, to say the least. Lawmakers and consumer groups have publicly opposed the plan.
Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who was drawn into the controversy, clarified that the IDR750K/US$100 fees would only apply to those wishing to climb to the temple area proper. Visitors who wish to enter in the general temple complex area, which is regularly flooded with local merchants hawking souvenirs, will only have to pay the regular IDR50K (US$3.46) fee.
“[Most visitors] these days don’t climb up [to the temple] anyway, and merchants don’t have to worry about the price hike,” Ganjar said.
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