Relax - Tour firms bemoan rise in temple entrance fees

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INDONESIA - Tour companies in Yogyakarta have been complaining about the management of Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Temples for their decision to raise prices of entrance tickets for the three tourist sites.

The state-owned management company, PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan dan Ratu Boko, raised tickets prices in July this year by between 25 and 33 per cent.

Entrance to Borobudur for adult foreign tourists has increased from US$15 to US$20 (S$18.67 to S$25) , Prambanan from US$15 to US$18 and Ratu Boko from US$9 to US$13. Tickets for foreign children have risen to US$10 from US$8.

"The increase is necessary to raise money for promotional purposes among other things, and to target tourists from Australia and South Korea," the company's secretary Ahmad Muchlis said.

He added that with the increase, tourists would have the opportunity to rent, free of charge, batik clothes while they were visiting Borobudur Temple in the neighbouring town of Magelang, Central Java, and Prambanan Temple on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta.

Head of Yogyakarta Provincial Tourism Agency Tazbir Abdullah said that the company needed to reconsider the raise.

"It makes tour packages to Yogyakarta more expensive because Borobudur and Prambanan Temples have been on all the tour itineraries," Tazbi said.

Deputy chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (Kadin) Yogyakarta branch, Bagus Ardi Baliontoro, said that the raise, announced in the middle of the year, would precipitate financial losses for tour operators because they mainly signed contracts at the beginning of the year.

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Dutch tourist Eugene H. Rijnders said that visiting Borobudur and Prambanan Temples is a must for foreign tourists visiting Indonesia. But the new ticket prices, he said, were very expensive.

"Those who come for the first time will pay for the tickets but they won't see the temples again for a second or third time. US$20 is too much," said Eugene while waiting for his wife, children and nieces in the yard of Prambanan Temple.

He decided not to enter the temple with his family members because he considered the entrance fee was too high.

He was also annoyed at the big difference between ticket prices for foreign and domestic tourists. He said he could accept some differences but it should not be so much. With tickets for domestic tourists selling for Rp 30,000 (S$3.90) each, the fair price for foreigners should be around US$10, he suggested.

Tour firms bemoan rise in temple entrance fees

By Bambang Muryanto, Jakarta Post, ANN | Thu, Aug 16 2012

Entrance fee to Borobudur for adult foreign tourists is now $25.

Tour firms bemoan rise in temple entrance fees

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tourism

indonesia