Jakarta. Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, has been ranked in third place among 15 iconic adventure tourism sites around the world by National Geographic magazine.
Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, comprising a total surface area of 2,500 square meters, and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 600 Buddha statues.
The monument has been recognized by Unesco as a world heritage site since 1991.
"This is such a huge honor for us. Borobudur will help to accelerate tourism development in Indonesia," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said in a statement on Tuesday (02/05).
The Ministry of Tourism also named Borobudur Temple as a world cultural masterpiece.
"After being featured in National Geographic magazine, Borobudur's fame will be raised, and with a regulation in lieu of law, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will soon ratify the establishment of a tourism authority body," Arief said.
The minister said the travel article will raise curiosity among readers of the magazine to find more information on Borobudur, which eventually lead them to visit the site.
Arief believes Borobudur will become more famous globally.
"It's like a confirmation that Borobudur is indeed a world-class icon," he said, adding that the site is being developed into a major international tourist destination.
"If we want to be a global tourism player, we have to keep up with global tourism standards and Borobudur has everything necessary to fulfill that," Arief said.
The complete list of National Geographic's 16 iconic adventure sites is as follows:
1. Machu Picchu, Peru
2. Petra, Jordan
3. Borobudur, Indonesia
4. Acropolis, Greece
5. Great Wall, China
6. Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
7. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
8. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
9. Provence lavender route, France
10. Avenue of Baobabs, Madagascar
11. Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
12. Amber Fort in Jaipur, India
13. Sydney Harbor Bridge, Australia
14. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
15. Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany.
