How Borobudur temple affects tourism in Magelang
THE JAKARTA POST Fri, July 12, 2019
Monks conduct the Pradaksina ritual, where they walk around Borobudur temple three times clockwise during Waisak on May 19. (JP/Berto Wedhatama)
MAGELANG, Indonesia – Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Indonesia, as it records around 5 million visitors a year, including up to 300,000 tourists per day over holidays.
Head of the regency’s tourism, youth and sports agency, Iwan Sutiarso, said on Wednesday in Magelang that 80 percent of tourists visiting Magelang in 2014 came through Borobudur, reported kompas.com.
“[But] in 2018, [those who entered Magelang from Borobudur account for] only 60 percent [of all tourists],” said Iwan.
While the Magelang administration is taking advantage of Borobudur temple for tourism in the area, there is a need to promote other destinations without having to always be linked to the temple. However, Iwan is aware of a challenge, which is human resources.
“[The challenge] is human resource competence,” he was quoted as saying, “We need professionals who are able to update their insights, tour guides who are capable […].”
Apart from Borobudur, which is south of Magelang, there are Gereja Ayam (rooster church), the Elo River for rafting and a paragliding site near Mount Telomoyo in other parts of the area.
Iwan pointed out that competent human resources for tourism was needed in the villages of Magelang, where locals often provided homestays for travelers during the peak of the holidays.
There are three to five star hotels in Magelang and around 600 homestays owned by locals. Meanwhile, 51 out of 372 villages in Magelang are cultural villages.
Joglosemar, a portmanteau of Yogyakarta, Surakarta and Semarang, aims to attract 2 million foreign visitors this year, with the utilization of four accessible airports, namely those in Semarang, Surakarta and two in Jakarta. (nic/mut)
From: THE JAKARTA POST (Indonesia) Friday, July 12, 2019
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