Borobudur`s administrative status needs clarification

The status of the Buddhist Borobudur temple as a tourist destination should be made clear as to which province it belongs to Central Java or Yogyakarta.

Based on its location, Borobudur in Magelang district, actually belongs to Central Java province but at times Yogyakarta claims the temple as its main tourist destination.

Therefore, the Central Java provincial government has been urged to be firm in deciding the Borobudur tourist destination status, member of the Central Java Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRD), Mahmud Mahfudz said in Semarang on Thursday.

He said the status of Borobudur temple has been claimed by the province of Yogyakarta special region as its main tourist destination.

"Borobudur temple belongs to Central Java but it has even been claimed to be Yogyakarta`s main tourist destination," Mahmud Mahfudz said.

According to him, the Borobudur temple would become one of the major attractions for the success of Visit Central Java Year 2013, especially for tourists to visit Central Java.

But following the Visit Central Java Year 2013, Mahmud said the Central Java provincial government has yet to make systematic efforts to affirm the Borobudur tourist destination status.

Therefore he has called on Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo

and his staff to immediately take tactical and strategic steps in preparing Borobudur temple as Central Java`s main tourist destination during Visit Central Java Year 2013.

"Everything should be made clear as to when the tactical and strategic steps will be taken," Mahmud said, adding that the success of tourism sector in Central Java would trigger an increase in the livelihoods of the local people.

Meanwhile, chairman of Central Java tourism board Soetomo said the local government should establish a special task force to overcome a variety of obstacles.

Soetomo said the task force would accelerate the preparations for the upcoming Visit Central Java Year 2013.

"The task force has to be chaired by the head of the department of culture and tourism with a sufficient members of seven people," Soetomo said.

Even former Culture and Tourism Minister I Gede Ardika admitted that both Borobudur and Prambanan temples are in Central Java.

After speaking at a one-day seminar on "Let`s Generate Yogyakarta Tourism 2012" in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, Ardika said efforts to preserve the two Buddhist temple in Central Java should be based on local communities.

According to him the local communities should take the greatest possible benefit from the the preservation of Borobudur and Prambanan temples in Central Java.

The former culture and tourism minister said the basic concepts of the conservation of the cultural heritage objects in the form of temples and other historic building should be based on community with a sense that the local people could enjoy the greatest possible benefits thereof.

"Thereby it is the local communities who have to maintain, supervise, and preserve the cultural heritage in order to get the direct benefits thereof," Ardika said.

He said the preservation did not need to emphasize on the institution concerned because the institution should facilitate the local people so that the things preserved and the people who preserve them would both have the similar benefits.

"In the preservation of Borobudur and Prambanan temples, we are using tourism as a tool to provide benefits to local communities, but it should be designed carefully," Ardika said. 

Meanwhile, PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko President Director Purnomo said the tourists who would like to visit the temples were required to wear batik sarong and soft-soled footwear.

He said the use of batik sarong was required to visitors ranging from junior high school age to adults, either domestic or foreign tourist. 

"The visitors to Borobudur and Prambanan should wear batik sarong as a sign of their respect to world cultural heritage and as a tribute to the place of worship, and to wear soft-soled footwears

in order not to erode the floor of the ancient buildings," Purnomo said.

For conducting batik sarungisasi program, PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur has provided ten thousand batik sarong without charge. Two posts for using batik sarong have been provided and at least 40 officers were deployed to assist visitors.

According to him, a total of 440,000 foreign tourists were this year expected to visit the Borobudur temple, while at least 4,000 domestic and foreign tourists visit the temple daily, but during the holidays the number can increase to around 9,000 per day.

He said the number of tourist arrival at Borobudur has been quite encouraging lately and therefore leading travel agents have now included the Buddhist temples in Central Java in their tour package.

According to him the temples were still the main tourist destination during Lebaran festivity, especially.

He said even three days after the Lebaran, the number of visitors rises six time more than on regular days.

During Lebaran, and up until 10 days afterward, PT Taman Wisata Borobudur is targeting the number of visitors reaching 250.000 persons.

Purnomo explained that to introduce the temples to the international community, his party intensively promoted them abroad, among others through travel market exhibitions in European and Asia Pacific countries.

"In Asian countries we promote the temples among others in South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore," he said

Source: ANTARA