JAKARTA, June 8 — The Indonesian government has postponed its plan to hike the entrance fee to the iconic Borobudur Temple announced earlier, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said.
He said the relevant parties will deliberate thoroughly several measures in managing tourists who want to climb up to the temple, including increasing the ticket price, and limiting the tourist quota.
This is contained in a statement issued by Ganjar after meeting with Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Luhut said the proposal to hike ticket prices was part of an effort to maintain the temple damaged by vandalism and to keep it clean and litter free.
The fees are set to be raised to US$100 (US$1=RM4.39) for foreign tourists and US$71 for domestic tourists who want to climb the temple’s stairs.
Currently, the entrance fee to Borobudur’s complex, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Central Java, is US$25 and US$5 for foreign tourists and domestic tourists, respectively.
The public expressed varying opinions about the proposal. Many people welcome the measure, saying the move will bring in additional money to preserve and maintain the temple, which is in a bad condition.
