<![CDATA[Magelang Regency, home to Borobudur Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, experienced a downward trend in tourist visits that began in 2024 and did not fully recover until 2026. Data shows a decline from 3.4 million visits in 2023 to 2.5 million visits in 2024, followed by stagnation in visits during Eid al-Fitr 2026, with only slight growth compared to Eid al-Fitr 2025 (Kompas Regional, 2026; Emiten News, 2026). This study aims to qualitatively and descriptively analyze six interacting determinants of this trend: the policy of restricting visits and regulations for Borobudur management, the increase in entrance fees, the mandatory use of upanat sandals, limited diversification of tourism products, the readiness of tourism human resources (HR), and environmental degradation due to the increase in motorized transportation. The research employed a qualitative case study approach with triangulation of primary data sources (in-depth interviews with tourism stakeholders) and secondary data (statistics from the Central Statistics Agency, policy documents, verified media coverage, and scientific literature published in 2021–2026). The results indicate that the decline in visits is multi-causal and systemic: the Borobudur conservation policy has strong scientific justification, but its implementation has not been balanced by public communication strategies and diversification of the tourism economy in the surrounding area. This study recommends an integrated destination management model that combines pricing policy reform, strengthening alternative tourism products, increasing human resource capacity, and environmentally friendly transportation as a way out of the single-minded dependence on a single tourist icon.]]>
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