UTS PRAKTIK KEPEMANDUAN WISATA GUIDE COMMENTARY

OVERTOURISM AT CANDI BOROBUDUR

OLEH:
ELENA KLAUDIA KRISTINA TOBING

NIM: 23104008

JURUSAN KEPARIWISATAAN

PROGRAM STUDI USAHA PERJALANAN WISATA

SARJANA TERAPAN

POLITEKNIK PARIWISATA BALI

KEMENTRIAN PARIWISATA DAN EKONOMI KREATIF/BADAN

PARIWISATA DAN EKONOMI KREATIF

2024
 OVER TOURISM AT

CANDI BOROBUDUR

Overtourism is the increase in tourist numbers at such high volumes that it

negatively impacts local residents, visitors, and the surrounding environment of a
particular destination. The existence of the Overtourism phenomenon is a signal
for the government to change tourism governance. Overtourism is a condition
where the number of tourists in a tourist destination is considered too high by
local residents, so that it begins to be felt as a nuisance. When public spaces and
public roads become congested due to tourist vehicles, when wildlife becomes
increasingly afraid to appear, when tourists fail to see the landmarks of a
destination due to being too crowded, or when the environment begins to be
damaged, these are all signs of overtourism. Currently, tourism development in
Indonesia is increasingly rapid. Apart from Bali, several regions in Indonesia are
also experiencing a surge in tourists and experiencing overtourism. One of them is
the Candi Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java. As one of the seven wonders of
the world, its popularity is never fades this Indonesian tourism mascot in Central
Java is the favorite for monument tourism. As one of Indonesia's architectural
masterpieces, it is not surprising that Borobudur always attracts the attention of
both local and foreign tourists who visit it. According to Radar Jogja Jawa Post
throughout 2023, visits to Candi Borobudur reach 1.4 million tourists. This
number has exceeded the set target. The composition consists of 90 percent
domestic tourists and 10 percent foreign tourists.

The spread of news regarding the imposition of entrance tickets to the

Candi Borobudur building immediately sparked controversy among the public.
This is because the ticket price to go up to the temple building reaches IDR
750,000 for domestic tourists and US$ 100 for foreign tourists which is
considered too expensive. Meanwhile, entrance tickets to the temple area are still
around IDR 50,000 for domestic tourists and US$ 25 for foreign tourists. This
discourse was implemented by the government due to the large number of visitors
to Candi Borobudur. The capacity of visitors to Candi Borobudur is only around
128 people per day or 21,120 people per year. Visitors to Candi Borobudur
reached almost 4 million people per day in 2018 (Rahmat et al., 2021). The large
number of visitors to Candi Borobudur, which exceeds capacity, certainly
threatens the sustainability of the conservation of this historic site. It is feared that
too many visitors to the temple building will have a negative impact on the
physical nature of the temple. Based on a study by the Borobudur Conservation
Center, it is stated that the rocks of Candi Borobudur experience wear or thinning
of up to 1.8 cm every time it is visited by 50 million visitors. During Muslim
holidays, the explosion of visitors causes traffic and noise which results in a
decrease in the quality of the visitor experience.

Even though it has a negative impact, there is also a positive impact

resulting from the increase in visitors to Candi Borobudur. The existence of the
Borobudur temple tourist attraction has a positive influence on the socio-
economic behavior of traders, namely expanding business opportunities, opening
up employment opportunities, increasing income and the mindset of traders in
developing trading businesses. Another positive impact that is felt is gaining wider
knowledge about the miraculous existence, infrastructure and stories that are
conveyed through the reliefs at Candi Borobudur depicting the life teachings of
the Buddha. Apart from that, a series of reliefs on the walls of Candi Borobudur
also tell the story of life during the Ancient Mataram era. The Thudong
celebration, which is a ritual journey of monks who walk thousands of kilometers
on Vesak Day, adds to the enthusiasm of the visit. The community's warm
welcome to the Thudong monks and community support for the smooth running
of the Vesak celebration, also shows high tolerance for Indonesia's diversity.
Vesak celebrations at Candi Borobudur provide a positive economic impact.
Starting from increasing accommodation occupancy to mobilizing Small and
Medium Enterprise.

Unique things about Candi Borobudur is that the temple building is

estimated to consist of 2 million pieces of stone that came from the river around
Borobudur. These stones are arranged without using cement or adhesive, but
instead use a system of interlocks and pegs. Candi Borobudur is a masterpiece of
architecture and art that amazes the world. With its complex design, beautiful
reliefs and deep symbolism, this temple not only bears witness to Indonesia's
history and cultural heritage, but also inspires visitors from all over the world. The
beauty and meaning behind the spectacular architecture of Candi Borobudur will
continue to captivate and enchant us throughout the ages. One characteristic of
Candi Borobudur is the stone reliefs that surround the walls. There are more than
2,600 reliefs depicting Buddhist teachings, spiritual journeys, and the daily lives
of people at that time. This relief is an extraordinary work of art, with stunning
detail and delicacy.

The management Candi Borobudur as a cultural tourism object is a new

development of cultural management in Indonesia. From colonial perio until the
beginning of the independence of Indonesia, management of cultural preservation
covered only on conservation and protection aspects. By the end of 20th century, a
paradigm in management of cultural preservation has developed into benefit from
tourism attracties. The use of cultural heritage as one of tourism object intended to
increase income and the social economic condition of the community surround it.
This is called as Cultural Resource Management (CRM). The use of Borobudur
temple as tourism object has positive and negative impact to the temple and the
community surround it. Borobudur temple attracts attention of billions tourists to
visit it. Their visit cause direct damage such as vandalism activities (scratching,
rubbish, climbing, and stealing the temple’s Components), it also indirect damage
such as worn out and cracking of temple's stone component. Beside of visitor
factor, the damage of Candi Borobudur caused by conservation activities such as
brushing of the stone blocks, which may cause falling of particles in stone. It's
should be known that the stone blocks of Candi Borobudur experience
degradation caused by natural factor for a many of time. Because of that, the
effort to minimalize the impact of using Candi Borobudur as tourism object
should be thought and implemented immediately. Those efforts cover visitor
management, building management, and the use of right conservation methods.
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%20kehalusan%20yang%20memukau.