One of the protective measures is for the government to raise the ticket price for access to one of the seven wonders of the world, which is intended to limit the number of visitors who can climb the world’s largest Buddhist temple.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan proposed to charge local tourists Rp 750,000 (US$51.92) and foreign tourists $100 if they want to go up to the top of the temple. Tickets for students will remain as cheap as Rp 5,000.

The number of visitors allowed to trek up the 10 layers of terraces of the 14 centuries-old archaeological site will also be capped at 1,200 people per day – down from the daily limit of 4,000 during the pandemic and even more restricted than the pre-pandemic days of more than 13,000 visitors daily.

Protests from many quarters, including the Buddhist community and tourist industry stakeholders, mounted as soon as the government announced the plan. On Tuesday Luhut, after talks with Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, decided to postpone the ticket price hike.

Indeed, the issue of price increases for any item is too sensitive for many, due to the grave impact of the pandemic on people’s well-being. But the government’s plan to limit public access to a precious cultural heritage site does make sense as well.

Back in 2019, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo already called for the restriction of tourist visits to the temple for preservation concerns. In the past decade, experts have also repeatedly asked the government to limit the number of visitors to the site.

Built in the eighth and ninth centuries during the Syailendra dynasty, the Borobudur compound is considered one of the world’s greatest monuments of civilization. The temple has for a long time been a place of worship, in particular on Waisak, which sees thousands of people in attendance.

The United Nations Education, Social and Culture Organization (UNESCO) listed Borobudur as a world heritage site in 1991. It has been noted there is a growing rate of deterioration of the building’s stone. Tourism also exerts considerable pressure on the site and its surroundings with unsupervised visitors causing a degree of damage.

Many have warned that when we simply focus on increasing the number of visitors, we may ignore the sustainability of tourist destinations, and in turn the industry itself. Ancient archaeological sites like Borobudur are vulnerable to damage as a result of overcapacity.

For a site as ancient and as important as Borobudur, we consider serious efforts and strict regulations to protect it imperative. Limiting tourists’ stampedes and reckless touches – not to mention the garbage that they bring – on the ancient stones of Borobudur is a step in the right direction.

Making visitors pay high, except for religious and educational purposes, is more than reasonable as Borobudur’s worth is immeasurable.