Religious Affairs Ministry Plans Religious Tourism in Prambanan Temple

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Religious Affairs is planning to offer religious tour packages to the Prambanan temple complex, which borders Sleman District, Yogyakarta, and Klaten District, Central Java.

"We are maturing this religious tourism. Currently, we are still struggling to realize a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with other stakeholders," the director of religious affairs at the ministry, Trimo, said in Prambanan on Wednesday.

The Prambanan temple is expected to be a center for spiritual development and a symbol of Hindu civilization, he added.

"The Prambanan temple has outstanding spiritual values; for that, we must spotlight the values originating from the archipelago that can inspire the world," he remarked.

The ministry has continued to strive so that the memorandum of understanding can be realized soon, he added.

"The religious tour package can be implemented if the MoU is signed," Trimo affirmed.

Some institutions that need to sign the MoU are the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, and other related parties, Trimo informed.

The religious tour package, which will provide space for and support activities based on the culture, market, religion, and society surrounding the temple, is expected to be launched next year, he said.

Meanwhile, the director of marketing and services at PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) for Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko, Hetty Herawati, said that TWC supports the plan for the Prambanan temple religious tour packages.

"The Prambanan temple area can be a historic indicator that tolerance has thrived since ancient times. This is indicated by the existence of Hindu temple buildings and Buddhist temples in the Prambanan temple complex," she pointed out.

According to Herawati, the Prambanan temple does not belong to only some people, as it is a large Indonesian asset and culture owned by the state that can provide maximum benefits to the community.

The Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, in collaboration with PT TWC, held a Prambanan Conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the site's designation as a world cultural heritage, at Rama Sinta Complex, Candi Prambanan, Yogyakarta on Wednesday.

Read: Borobudur, Prambanan to Reopen; Management Prepares PeduliLindungi App

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