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Govt nixes domestic ticket hike, keeps crowd limit for Borobudur
The President has apparently struck down a previously announced plan to raise ticket prices to climb the heritage site for both domestic and foreign visitors, restricting the price hike to just foreign visitors.
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An official from the Borobudur Conservation Center (BKB) sprays a stupa with disinfectant on March 16, 2020 at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java. (Antara/Anis Efizudin)
T
he government has reportedly backpedaled on a plan to raise the price of ticket to ascend Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple, located in Magelang, Central Java.
Earlier this month, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the government planned to charge domestic visitors Rp 750,000 (US$51.92) and foreign visitors $100 per person to climb to the top of the temple.
The move was part of an effort to restrict the number of visitors to prevent further structure damage to the temple compound, which dates back to the 8th century and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage since 1991.
The proposed prices were astronomically higher than the previous rates of Rp 50,000 for domestic visitors and $25 for foreign visitors. The plan also maintained the previous student ticket price of Rp 5,000, while all other visitors would be charged the original entrance fee of Rp 50,000, which did not include climbing the temple.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono told the press on June 14 after a limited Cabinet meeting on tourism that the President had now eliminated the ticket price hike for domestic tourists. He did not specifically mention whether the government would maintain the increased ticket price for foreign tourists.
The ticket price for climbing Borobudur was still Rp 50,000 for domestic tourists, while student rates would also stay the same at Rp 5,000, he told Kompas.com.
Basuki added that the government was pressing ahead with a plan to limit daily attendance to 1,200 visitors, with visitors required to register online before visiting the temple compound.
