The majesty of Borobudur Temple is well known to foreign countries and is known as the largest Buddhist monument in the world according to the website of the Ministry of Tourism. Borobudur Temple is located in Magelang, Central Java. It can be seen clearly that Borobudur temple is located in Central Java, not Yogyakarta. Lots of people and tourists think that Borobudur temple is located in Yogyakarta. Maybe many people think that because Borobudur Temple is managed by Taman Wisata Candi, where tample tour packages are usually one package with Ratu Boko and also Prambanan, so many think that Borobudur Temple is in Yogyakarta.
Borobudur Temple underwent a long period of restoration to restore its majesty. Borobudur Temple had even been lost and could be rediscovered by the Dutch colonial government at that time in a condition that had collapsed and was destroyed. However, the colonial government ordered to build and repair the Borobudur temple. Not only that, the eruption of Merapi in 2006 also caused quite severe damage to Borobudur Temple so that it was required for construction and maintenance as a result of the eruption of Mount Merapi. Borobudur Temple is one of the most valuable treasures in Indonesia and the world, therefore the people and the Indonesian government are really protecting this world heritage.
Apart from the majesty and splendor of the Borobudur temple, currently Borobudur temple tourism is experiencing a drastic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The history of the Coronavirus began with the first report of the COVID-19 outbreak originating from a group of cases of human pneumonia in Wuhan City, China, since late December 2019. The earliest date of onset of cases was December 1, 2019. Symptoms of the patient included fever, malaise, dry cough, and fever. dyspnea diagnosed as a symptom of viral pneumonia infection. And from the virus that spreads throughout the world, it certainly affects the tourism sector in Indonesia.
Tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on BPS data (2021), there was a significant decrease in the number of tourists, both local and foreign tourists. Total foreign tourist visits to Indonesia in 2020 amounted to 4.02 million visits. When compared to 2019, the number of foreign tourists decreased by 75.03 percent. From the data mentioned above, it is certainly very detrimental to the community and also our country.
The real impact on the tourism industry at Borobudur temple during a pandemic situation like this can be said as follows. Foreign tourist visits to Borobudur Temple, Magelang Regency, Central Java, in February 2020 decreased by about 30 percent compared to February 2019. This decline was due to the outbreak of the corona virus or COVID-19. The Corporate Secretary of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko Emilia Eny Utari said foreign tourist visits in February 2019 reached 16,642 people, but in February 2020 it fell to 11,506 people.
Not only a decrease in tourist visits from abroad, another impact that can be drawn from this situation is that there are many traders who usually sell souvenirs such as clothes, hats, bracelets, statues, batik and service sectors such as restaurants, lodgings, are forced to close and the usual profits they can be reduced. Lots of stall traders who used to sell at the souvenir market were forced to be unable to sell because access to the temple was still closed and no tourists visited the Borobudur temple. Many employees or employees at hotels or restaurants around the Borobudur temple were forced to be fired due to this pandemic situation.
Of course it is very sad to feel, therefore there is a need for a solution to this problem. Despite the decline in foreign tourist arrivals, the Borobudur Temple TWC still strives to maximize domestic tourist visits. This is in accordance with the government's recommendation for local tourists not to visit abroad, especially to countries affected by the Corona Virus. Regarding the spread of the Corona Virus, the temple itself has provided a body temperature detector at the ticket purchase point and also provided hand sanitizer. The Borobudur temple also enforces health protocols that are implemented, including keeping a distance with an appeal to always use masks and wash hands for visitors. The management prepares hand washing facilities in several locations around the Prambanan and Ratu Boko temple areas, such as at the entrance to the TWC complex, the temple area, and at the souvenir sales location. Prospective visitors are also advised to buy tickets online. Meanwhile, for ticket purchases at the counter, it is limited to only 70 percent of the total tickets provided, the rest through online reservations.
The next solution that might be done by the government is by using Virtual Tourism. Virtual Tourism is one of the alternatives that emerged in the midst of the boredom of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual Tourism is present as a form of transformation and adaptation against the pandemic by utilizing technology, while waiting for the recovery process of the tourism world which has not been significant. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) predicts that travel will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024 (BBC, 2020). Virtual Tourism can be a temporary answer to keep potential tourists interested in traveling when conditions improve.
The idea of Virtual Tourism has now been started and continues to be developed by various parties, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the local government, and the community. The content in this Virtual Tour is also very diverse, ranging from natural panoramas, museums, art performances and performances, traditional culture, to the atmosphere of metropolitan life in Indonesia which is available in the form of images and videos. The hope is that the existence of a virtual tour can make potential tourists feel like they are in a destination where they want. This is tantamount to offering a trial-before-purchase experience that can encourage the desire to travel.
From the data above that have been collected, many have answered the problem formulation described at the beginning of this article. The first is the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the tourism industry. This article concludes that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, that nationally the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in 92% of the 5,242 tourism sector workers loss of his job. And for the case of the tourism industry in Borobudur Temple The Corporate Secretary of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko Emilia Eny Utari said foreign tourist visits in February 2019 reached 16,642 people, but in February 2020 it fell to 11,506 people. And from the facts obtained, the solution provided by the Borobudur temple manager is The Borobudur temple also enforces health protocols that are implemented, including keeping a distance with an appeal to always use masks and wash hands for visitors. The management prepares hand washing facilities in several locations around the Prambanan and Ratu Boko temple areas, such as at the entrance to the TWC complex, the temple area, and at the souvenir sales location. Prospective visitors are also advised to buy tickets online.
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