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)