Borobudur’s stone terraces invite admiration, but understanding their stories requires time, context and thoughtful interpretation. A partnership between France’s Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN) and InJourney Destination Management aims to deepen that understanding through the development of the Borobudur Museum.
CMN President Marie Lavandier’s visit to Indonesia on October 18–24, 2026, brings French and Indonesian heritage professionals together to identify how conservation, education and accessibility can shape a more meaningful visitor experience.
From Jakarta Meetings to Borobudur
On October 19, Lavandier and the CMN delegation visited Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture, meeting Deputy Minister Giring Ganesha and his team. Giring, who serves under Culture Minister Fadli Zon, introduced Borobudur’s heritage as the two sides explored opportunities for cooperation.
The Jakarta programme also included a visit to InJourney for discussions on the proposed Borobudur Temple Interpretation Centre. The initiative focuses on helping visitors understand the monument’s history, Buddhist narratives and continuing spiritual significance.
InJourney, formally PT Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia, is led by President Director and Chief Executive Officer Maya Watono. Appointed in November 2024, she previously served as the holding company’s Director of Marketing and Tourism Programs and as Country CEO of dentsu Indonesia. Reporting on her appointment, detikFinance described her as the youngest female president director of an Indonesian state-owned enterprise. Her background brings experience in communication and tourism development to the wider heritage discussion.
Within the group, InJourney Destination Management, led by President Director Febrina Intan, is CMN’s partner under the museum cooperation agreement. The distinction places the project within both InJourney’s broader tourism strategy and its destination-management operations.
The delegation’s programme continues with a working visit to Borobudur, where discussions will draw on the site’s facilities, professional expertise and visitor needs.
Turning Cultural Diplomacy into Practical Cooperation
The initiative follows the Borobudur Declaration on Joint Cultural Strategy, adopted by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Prabowo Subianto on May 29, 2025. The declaration identified museums, heritage conservation and professional exchanges as priorities, alongside accessibility and engagement with younger audiences.
The first Franco-Indonesian Strategic Cultural Dialogue followed in Paris in July 2025. According to the joint press release, CMN and InJourney Destination Management subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in Paris on April 22, 2026, establishing a cooperation framework with the Borobudur Museum as its first flagship project.
The October mission advances that framework through an initial assessment. Its purpose is to establish needs and priorities before developing the museum concept further.
For visitors, the practical questions are straightforward: what should the museum explain, how can different audiences engage with its displays, and how can tourism respect Borobudur’s religious significance?
Helping Visitors Read Borobudur’s Stories
Built in the eighth and ninth centuries, Borobudur forms part of the Borobudur Temple Compounds, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991. The property comprises Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon, offering a wider cultural landscape for visitors to explore.
Museum interpretation can help connect these places before and after a temple visit. Clear explanations of architectural forms, Buddhist stories and conservation work can give visitors a stronger understanding of what they encounter.
“Our approach to managing Borobudur is guided by four key pillars: conservation, spiritual, education, and tourism,” Febrina Intan said during the meeting.
She explained that the museum initiative aims to help visitors discover the monument’s stories while keeping tourism development aligned with heritage preservation.
The assessment will examine visitor facilities, interpretation tools, cultural programming, visitor profiles and tourism patterns, alongside infrastructure and operational conditions. Its findings will inform preliminary recommendations for the museum’s content and visitor experience.
Sharing Expertise, Respecting Local Knowledge
CMN brings experience from managing more than 100 historic monuments across France, including the Arc de Triomphe, Panthéon and Sainte-Chapelle. Its work combines conservation with public engagement, cultural programming and historical interpretation.
Lavandier adds a museum perspective to that expertise. A heritage curator and art historian, she directed the Louvre-Lens from 2016 to 2023 before becoming CMN president in May 2023. Her work has emphasised connections with local communities and broader audiences.
At Borobudur, French experience will be combined with Indonesian knowledge, priorities and institutional leadership. InJourney Destination Management and the Indonesian Heritage Agency are among the partners involved in assessing the site’s needs.
](https://cdn2.gnfi.net/seasia/uploads/images/11398/2851whatsapp-image-2025-05-29-at-81139-pmjpeg "President Prabowo Subianto welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron to Borobudur on May 29, 2025, celebrating Indonesia–France cultural ties. [Sekretariat Negara](https://www.setneg.go.id/baca/index/presiden_macron_kagumi_candi_borobudur_lambang_keunggulan_manusia_dan_inspirasi_dunia?utm_source=chatgpt.com)")
Macron expressed this approach during his visit to Borobudur in May 2025.
“We will support the implementation of concrete actions according to the needs expressed by our Indonesian partners,” he said, translated from French.
Building Connections Beyond One Museum
The Borobudur initiative forms part of a broader cultural relationship encompassing collections management, digitisation, professional training and exhibitions. The 2025 declaration also highlighted creative exchanges, including the ADIR artist-and-designer residency in Bali and design cooperation between Bandung and Saint-Étienne.
For Borobudur, further missions and working sessions are planned for 2027 to refine the programme, develop visitor routes and interpretation tools, and support the architectural design phase. The announcement does not specify a construction budget or opening date.
The partnership’s promise is to help visitors leave with more than photographs. By connecting conservation with accessible storytelling, Indonesia and France aim to deepen understanding of Borobudur and the heritage it carries into the future.
