TWC's Director of Operations and Infrastructure Development, Mardijono Nugroho, revealed on Wednesday that the state-owned company, as the temple's management, aims to draw tourists not only to the temple itself but also to other destinations and attractions in its vicinity.
"We have been tasked with developing Zone 3, which includes the Borobudur Village of Art," he said after handing out souvenirs to the first five visitors of the temple this year.
The first visitors—two Japanese tourists and three Indonesians—received a special welcome upon their arrival. They were given the privilege of exploring the temple complex aboard a traditional Javanese horse cart, known as an andong.
Nugroho stated that TWC plans to develop Zones 4 and 5 of the Borobudur Temple Complex to attract even more tourists.
During the year-end holidays, the number of visitors peaked at around 11,000 on December 29.
He reported that approximately 1.3 million tourists visited the temple in 2024, reaching 87 percent of the target of 1.5 million visitors.
According to Nugroho, international tourists accounted for 200,000 of the visitors to the temple, which has been designated as one of Indonesia's super-priority tourism destinations.
He emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to further promote and maximize the potential of the Buddhist temple, with the goal of stimulating the local economy.
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Translator: Heru S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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