Ideally, a tourist destination built based on cultural heritage, such as the Ratu Boko Palace Area, should provide welfare to the community. Unfortunately, the Ratu Boko Palace area has not fully helped the surrounding poor people. Prambanan District itself currently has around 12.53 percent or 2,315 low-income families. The distribution is Sumberharjo (625 families), Wukirharjo (185 families), Gayamharjo (275 families), Sambirejo (325 families), Madurejo (530 families) and Bokoharjo (375 families).
The financial realization in 2019 showed a profit after tax of around 100.71 percent of the target from the management of the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park, Prambanan Temple, Ratu Boko Palace, and other business units.
It was raised in the Tourism Seminar Series, on Tuesday (1/12) with the theme: ‘Cultural Heritage Tourism in the Ratu Boko Palace Area, Inequality in Management?’.
The Tourism Seminar Series was held by the UGM Graduate School of Tourism Study Program (SPS). The trigger for the discussion was Prof. Dr. Ir. Chafid Fandeli, M.S. as responders along with Ari Setyaningsih and Indung Panca Putra from the Yogyakarta Special Region Cultural Heritage Preservation Center (BPCB DIY) with Dr. Yulia Arisnani Widyaningsih, MBA, Ph.D.
Dr. Maria Tri Widayati, an alumnus of Doctoral Degree of Tourism Studies UGM Graduate School, who is currently a lecturer at the Yogyakarta “API” Polytechnic at the event highlighted the problem of managing the Ratu Boko Palace Area which so far has not been considered optimal in presenting business opportunities in the tourism sector to the community.
She said that the crucial thing that caused the management of Ratu Boko Temple was not optimal is the centralized management by PT. Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Temple Tourism Parks. It can be said that the monopoly of PT. Temple Tourism Park is enormous. At least, that’s what the public said when Dr. Maria conducted interviews and focus group discussions.
“Other problems that need attention, such as the issue of land tenure at the Ratu Boko Palace site, namely zone 1, which should be sterile, there are still residential areas, then the local community feels they have never been involved in the management and officers at the entrance who do not tolerate residents,” explained Maria.
In addition, problems also occur between managers. For example, managers come from different ministries, as well as various interests, PT TWC BPRB has not fully involved other stakeholders in the management of the Ratu Boko Tourism Park, there is an imbalance between conservation and utilization and coordination at the lower/field level is still lacking.
In detail, Dr. Maria explained that BPCB did not get direct income from PT. Ratu Boko Palace Tourism Park, but received management funds indirectly through the Directorate of Cultural Conservation and Museum Preservation of 500 million/year for its protection and preservation. Ironically, starting in 2015/2016, the budget for the preservation was stopped.
“So, BPCB DIY no longer gets these funds for the preservation of the Ratu Boko Palace Area. Meanwhile, the salary of the main director and director of PT TWC BPRB ranges from around 100,000,000 – 120,000,000 per month,” he added.
He assessed that a cultural heritage site managed for tourism must still be preserved and must be able to provide people’s welfare. Therefore, there is still one more step, namely opening up access for the community to participate in tourism to benefit from tourism and jointly keep the site sustainable.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Chafid Fandeli, M.S., as the discussant, said that actually, the Ratu Boko Palace area is ecologically in the right place, unlike Prambanan, which often floods. It was as if ancient architects had understood environmental physics ‘the law of related vessels’, namely that there is water between hills. Stories like these need to be conveyed to visitors and the younger generation.
As a participant in the discussion, Prof. Heddy highlighted the importance of integrating inscriptions and archaeological sites around Boko and Prambanan. Then, they are summarized and included in the right ‘story telling’ so that it is more attractive to tourists and the younger generation.
