French multimedia show

JAKARTA (JP): French cultural company Culturel Espasse signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday to invest US$5 million for the development of a multimedia show (MMS) project at Borobudur Temple, Central Java.

The MOU was signed by Bernard Dorleans, the managing director of PT Asia Lux, the French company's partner in Indonesia and Wagiman Soegiarso, the president of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, which operate and manage the temple.

Dorleans said that Central Java's temples, especially Borobudur and Prambanan, were among the wonders of the world which should be developed further to attract more tourists.

"We are performing a feasibility study on the development of the project. The MMS project will combine a theater with sound and light attractions," he said.

Wagiman said that the MMS project would help increase tourist arrivals which have continued to decline in this year's first semester due to the economic crisis and political uncertainty.

He said that tourists arrivals to Borobudur and Prambanan dropped 55 percent in the first six months of this year to around 1 million visitors from 2.2 million visitors in the same period last year. (gis)