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Magelang demands eight times increase in Borobudur visitor limit
Local businesses at Borobudur have reported an 80 percent decline in revenue since the visitor restriction was implemented, while the Borobudur Conservation Center says the cap aims to transform the temple into a "meaningful tourism" destination.
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Encountering ancient history: Elementary school students take part in an educational tour on March 7, 2024, at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java. In addition to being a world-class tourist destination, Borobudur Temple is also an educational facility and research object for scientists and students. (Antara/Anis Efizudin)
T
he Magelang administration in Central Java has asked the central government to raise the daily visitor cap at Borobudur Temple to 10,000, a move that would challenge ongoing efforts to preserve the ancient site's structure.
Magelang Regent Grengseng Pamuji said local sellers and vendors in the Borobudur area have been struggling to stay afloat since the government limited the number of daily visitors to the Buddhist monument to 1,200 people in 2023 for temple preservation.
“The visitor limit has drastically reduced money circulation in Borobudur. Almost all vendors have been complaining of a lack of customers,” he stated on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.
“We urge the government to consider raising the daily visitor limit in Borobudur to 10,000 people,” he added.
Arif Rafman Hakim, Head of the Tourism Industry Division of Magelang's Tourism, Youth and Sport Agency, said that Regent Grengseng has formally requested the visitor limit increase from Culture Minister Fadli Zon during the Waisak ceremony at Borobudur in May.
“We continue to maintain communication with the ministry on this issue,”he said, adding that a rise in Borobudur's visitors would likely also boost visitor numbers at nearby tourist sites.
The state tourism firm Injourney, which manages Borobudur Temple, stated last month that it plans to raise the daily visitor limit for the site to 5,000 people.
