REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA - Government Regulation No. 12/2014 on types and tariffs of non-tax state revenues of the forestry ministry had reduced the number of tourists to tourist sites in East Java, an official said.

The revised entrance fees, which have surged up to 300 percent under the regulation brought into effect from May 5, 2014, have had a detrimental effect on tourism industry, particularly travel agencies, secretary of the East Java chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (Asita) Nanik Sutaningtyas reported here on Friday.

"The number of tourist arrivals to East Java has now dropped to 30 percent," Nanik said.

Under the regulation, the entrance fee for a domestic tourist to the Mount Bromo tourist resort has increased to 27,500 IDR from 10,000 IDR on normal days and to 32,500 IDR at weekends, she noted. Meanwhile, the entrance fee for foreign tourist rose to 217,000 IDR from 72,500 IDR on normal days and to 317,500 IDR at weekends. Mount Bromo is the province's famous tourist site.

East Java currently has nine tourist locations under the jurisdiction of the forestry ministry. In March this year, East Java's tourism society and industry had staged a protest in front of the Mount Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Agency over the threefold increase of Mount Bromos entrance fees.

The protesters argued that the increase was a form of commercialization of nature. Only people who are rich could enjoy the beauty of nature in the Bromo Tengger National Park.

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