Borobudur Temple Designated as Eco-Friendly Destination

The Borobudur Temple area, Magelang Regency, Central Java has been designated as a sustainable eco-friendly tourist destination. Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan encouraged all Super Priority Tourism Destinations (DPSP) to replace all fossil-based vehicles, such as gasoline, to electric vehicles. This is in accordance with the government's plan to create green tourism as a form of Indonesia's commitment to clean energy.

"The target is that by the end of this year all DPSPs can start organizing. So next year vehicle operations will be clean from fossil fuels. I ask everyone to use electric cars, buses or motorbikes," said Luhut when inaugurating the public electric vehicle charging station (SPKUL) in the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park area, Magelang, Saturday (4/6/2022).

The inauguration of the SPKUL was also attended by Deputy Minister of SOEs Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, Head of the Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP) Abdullah Azwar Anas, Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo, Director General of Electricity of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Rida Mulyana, Director of Regional Business of Java Madura and Bali PLN Haryanto WS and President Director of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Edy Setijono.

Before the inauguration, the group tried out the electric bus that will be used as a mode of transportation in the Borobudur and Prambanan Temple areas. The group went around to check a number of developments in the Borobudur area, such as the waste processing site, the entrance gate to the Borobudur Temple area, the Borobudur concourse and other developments.

In addition to electric buses, the Government will collaborate with online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers around the Borobudur area to strengthen the environmentally friendly ecosystem. Later, all motorcycles used by ojol to transport tourists in the Borobudur area will also use electric motorcycles.

"Therefore, electric charging stations/Public Electricity Supply Stations (SPLU) continue to be increased in the Borobudur and Prambanan areas. "One of them has also been built and inaugurated today," he explained.

President Director of PT TWC Edy Setijono said that as a Super Priority Tourism Destination (DPSP), Borobudur was appointed as a generator for the development of the tourism ecosystem, especially in the Joglosemar area which includes the provinces of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta with the hope of providing great benefits for the growth of the tourism ecosystem in the region.

"One of the things we are pushing is increasing tourist accessibility in the area. This will increase the role and the community has also been actively developed through various community development programs," he explained.

In order to realize a world class destination, PT TWC is committed to implementing sustainable cultural heritage tourism through integrated management of cultural heritage and tourism activities based on three key factors, namely heritage conservation, economic investment and civil society engagement.

"Of course, this requires support from various stakeholders. Through collaboration, hopefully this common goal can be achieved," he concluded.