Tour agents bark at fare hike

Tour agents bark at fare hike

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Travel agents said on Friday a planned
increase in the admission fees at the tourist attractions
Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko temples in Yogyakarta and
Central Java would hurt the local tourism industry.

The chairman of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agency's
(ASITA) Yogyakarta branch, Bagus Ardhi Barliantoro, said the
increase in the fares from Rp 10,000 (about US$1.30) to Rp 40,000
would discourage tourists from visiting the city.

He said this time the planned increase is just one of a series
of increases made by PT Taman Wisata which recently took over the
management of the temples.

A local travel agent director, Ferry Istanto, said the new
fares prices would be a blow for his company because all
contracts negotiated with foreign travel agencies to visit the
temples were based on the admission fee of Rp 10,000.

"I think we cannot tolerate another price increase this time,"
Ferry said.

After the management of the tourist attractions were taken
over by PT Taman Wisata, according to Bagus, admission prices had
continuously increased from Rp 400 to Rp 2,000, to Rp 4,000 and
then to Rp 10,000.

"The ticket fare increases have not been accompanied by
improved services for tourists," he said.(udi/23)