TEMPO.CO, Magelang - Coffee tourism being developed in Kerug Batur Hamlet, Majaksingi Village, Magelang Municipality, Central Java, is expected to become a new icon of Borobudur Temple area to lure more local and foreign tourists, a spokesperson stated. PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko supports the development of coffee tourism by promoting Majaksingi coffee, General Manager of Taman Wisata Borobudur Temple (TWCB) Chrisnamurti Adiningrum stated on Friday.
"Majaksingi Village potentially produces quality coffee. We hope the local villagers would be able to produce it more to enable it to become the icon of Borobudur coffee," she remarked.
The government has tasked PT TWC Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko with managing tourism parks within the area of the three temple. Adiningrum pointed out that the Kerug Batur Hamlet, Majaksinghi Village, Borobudur Sub-district, had abundant coffee plantations, but the local people only sold raw coffee to the consumers.
Hence, the TWCB has supported the local people by providing them assistance, so that they can increase the sales value of their processed coffee, she explained. Adiningrum noted that the TWCB had recently extended support to the residents of Kerug Batur Hamlet by providing them equipment and coffee seeds.
Assistance was offered in the form of a roasting machine or coffee fryer, grinder, kattel hario or coffee boiler, France Press or coffee testing tool, coffee dripper, paper filter, and one thousand seeds of robusta coffee. "We believe that the head of Majaksingi Village and his administrative staff can utilize the assistance well, and we would be able to develop coffee tourism in Kerug Batur," she emphasized.
In supporting the development of coffee tourism, several coffee shops will be built in the area, so that visitors can enjoy the local coffee and participate in coffee-making sessions. "There are still several opportunities to develop tourism in Kerug Batur," she stated.
Apart from coffee, this village also has huge potential to develop natural tourism called Punthuk Gajah Mungkur. She further noted that TWCB's focus on community development and environment protection is part of its corporate social responsibilities that must be fulfilled. Moreover, the TWCB is seeking to forge closer ties with the people to develop the tourism potential of the area around Borobudur Temple.
The TWCB had earlier also worked with Magelang District's Agriculture Plantation Food Plantation and Forestry Office and Kerug Batur Hamlet's residents to pioneer the cultivation of Borobudur coffee in 2016.
The local people were also trained to be adept at cultivating and processing coffee crops by coffee experts.
ANTARA
